Aizoaceae

Aizoaceae
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Aizoaceae
Martinov
Type genus
Aizoon
L.
Genera

See text

Synonyms
  • Ficoidaceae
  • Mesembryanthemaceae
  • Tetragoniaceae Lindl.

The Aizoaceae (/ˌzˈsi., -ˌ/), or fig-marigold family, are a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly named ice plants or carpet weeds. The Aizoaceae are also referred to as vygies in South Africa. Some of the unusual Southern African genera—such as Conophytum, Lithops, Titanopsis, and Pleiospilos (among others)—resemble gemstones, rocks, or pebbles, and are sometimes called living stones or mesembs (short for mesembryanthemums).