''Malephora'' is a genus of

succulent plant 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 ...

s in the ice plant family. There are 13 to 17South African National Biodiversity Institute
/ref> species in the genus, many of which are known commonly as mesembs. They are native to Africa. During the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

era, South African scientists have used it to create a chemical poison. These are perennial herbs used as groundcovers lined with fleshy, smooth, sometimes waxy leaves no more than 6 centimeters long. Leaves are triangular or rounded in cross-section and are arranged oppositely about the stem. The tubular flowers arise from leaf axils or at the ends of stem branches. The flowers may be several centimeters wide. They have up to 65 narrow petals in bright shades of yellow, orange, pink, or purple. The center of the flower has whorls of up to 150

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. The fruit is a capsule that opens when it becomes wet, releasing the many seeds. Some species are used as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

s, particularly ''

Malephora crocea ''Malephora crocea'' is a species of flowering plant in the ice plant family known by the common name coppery mesemb and red ice plant. It is native to Africa and it is grown in many other places as an ornamental plant and a groundcover. In Cal ...

''. Species include: *''

'' - orange flowers *''Malephora framesii'' *''Malephora herrei'' * ''Malephora lutea'' - improper reference to ''M. luteola'' *''Malephora luteola'' - Rocky Point ice plant - yellow flowers *''Malephora pienaarii'' *''Malephora purpureo-crocea'' - purple flowers *''Malephora smithii''

References

External links

*
Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Malephora''
Aizoaceae Aizoaceae genera Taxa named by N. E. Brown {{Aizoaceae-stub