''Disphyma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is d ...

that are native to New Zealand, Australia and southern Africa. Plants in this genus are

prostrate Prostrate may refer to:- *Prostration, a position of submission in religion etc. *Prone position, a face-down orientation of the body *Prostrate shrub A prostrate shrub is a woody plant, most of the branches of which lie upon or just above the ...

, annual or short-lived

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

shrubs with

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

leaves and daisy-like flowers arranged singly on the ends of shoots with petal-like

staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...

s, many

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s and usually five styles.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Disphyma'' are prostrate, annual plants or short-lived perennials with branches that root at

nodes In general, a node is a localized swelling (a "knot") or a point of intersection (a Vertex (graph theory), vertex). Node may refer to: In mathematics *Vertex (graph theory), a vertex in a mathematical graph *Vertex (geometry), a point where two ...

. 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 Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

up to long. The

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when ...

is tube-shaped with five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s, 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

s in four or five rows. The

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

inferior Inferior may refer to: * Inferiority complex * An Anatomical terms of location#Superior and inferior, anatomical term of location * Inferior angle of the scapula, in the human skeleton *Inferior (book), ''Inferior'' (book), by Angela Saini * ''The ...

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 Nicholas Edward Brown (11 July 1849 in Redhill, Surrey – 25 November 1934 in Kew Gardens, London) was an English plant taxonomist and authority on succulents. He was also an authority on several families of plants, including Asclepiadaceae, ...

in '' The Gardeners' Chronicle''. As at October 2020,

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

accepts four species: * ''

Disphyma australe ''Disphyma australe'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is a prostrate, succulent annual shrub or short-lived perennial plant with stems up to long, leaves that are three-sided in cross-se ...

'' ( Sol. ex Aiton)

J.M.Black John McConnell Black (28 April 1855 – 2 December 1951) was a Scottish botanist who emigrated to Australia in 1877 and eventually documented and illustrated thousands of flora in South Australia in the early 20th century. His publications assi ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to New Zealand; * ''

Disphyma crassifolium ''Disphyma crassifolium'', commonly known as round-leaved pigface, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is native to Australia and the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It is a Prostrate shrub, prostrate, succulent plant, suc ...

'' ( L.)

L.Bolus Harriet Margaret Louisa Bolus ''née'' Kensit (31 July 1877, Burgersdorp – 5 April 1970, Cape Town) was a South African botanist and taxonomist, and the longtime curator of the Bolus Herbarium, from 1903. Bolus also has the legacy of authorin ...

that is native to Australia and the Cape Province in southern Africa; * ''

Disphyma dunsdonii ''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 fl ...

'' L.Bolus that is endemic to the Cape Province; * '' Disphyma papillatum''

Chinnock The Chinnocks are three villages in Somerset, England, south west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district: * East Chinnock * Middle Chinnock * West Chinnock The origin of the name Chinnock is uncertain. It may be derived from the Old English ' ...

that is endemic to the

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...

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 The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

of New Zealand.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2711273 Aizoaceae Aizoaceae genera Flora of Australia Flora of New Zealand Flora of Africa Taxa named by N. E. Brown