Disphyma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Disphyma |
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| Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Aizoaceae |
| Subfamily: | Ruschioideae |
| Tribe: | Ruschieae |
| Genus: | Disphyma N.E.Br. |
Disphyma is a genus of flowering plants in the family Aizoaceae that are native to New Zealand, Australia and southern Africa. Plants in this genus are prostrate, annual or short-lived perennial shrubs with succulent leaves and daisy-like flowers arranged singly on the ends of shoots with petal-like staminodes, many stamens and usually five styles.
Description
Plants in the genus Disphyma are prostrate, annual plants or short-lived perennials with branches that root at nodes. The leaves are arranged alternately and fused at the base, succulent and round to more or less triangular in cross-section. The flowers are usually arranged singly, sometimes in pairs or three, on the ends of branches or on short side shoots, each flower on a pedicel up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long. The perianth is tube-shaped with five sepals, two larger and leaf-like and three smaller, slightly succulent and not leaf-like. There are many petal-like, purplish staminodes in two rows and many stamens in four or five rows. The ovary is inferior and there are usually five styles. The fruit is a capsule.
Taxonomy
The genus Disphyma was first formally described in 1925 by N. E. Brown in The Gardeners' Chronicle.
As at October 2020, Plants of the World Online accepts four species:
- Disphyma australe (Sol. ex Aiton) J.M.Black that is endemic to New Zealand;
- Disphyma crassifolium (L.) L.Bolus that is native to Australia and the Cape Province in southern Africa;
- Disphyma dunsdonii L.Bolus that is endemic to the Cape Province;
- Disphyma papillatum Chinnock that is endemic to the Chatham Islands on New Zealand;
Plants of the World Online also accepts two subspecies:
- Disphyma australe subsp. stricticaule Chinnock that is endemic to Kermadec Island of New Zealand;
- Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum (Haw.) Chinnock that is endemic to Australia and has been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand.
See also
In Spanish: Disphyma para niños
