Aptenia
| Aptenia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Aptenia cordifolia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Aizoaceae |
| Subfamily: | Mesembryanthemoideae |
| Genus: | Aptenia N.E.Br.[1] |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Litocarpus L.Bolus | |
Aptenia is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Aizoaceae. They are native to southern Africa.[2] The genus name is from the Greek a- (not) and ptenos (winged), and refers to the wingless fruit capsules.[3]
These are succulent subshrubs growing from a system of fibrous, often fleshy roots. The stems lie prostrate on the ground or may climb. The stem bases are woody, and the stems are green. The leaves are mostly oppositely arranged, but those near the inflorescences may be alternate. The leaf blades are flat, hairless, sometimes waxy, and usually heart-shaped, or occasionally lance-shaped. Flowers are solitary or grow in small, whorled clusters, usually in the leaf axils along the stem. The flower is about a centimeter wide. There are two large sepals and two smaller. The corolla contains many narrow petals in shades of pink, purple, yellow, or white, and several staminodes that look very much like the petals. The many fertile stamens at the center are white or yellow. The fruit is a capsule with four valves.[2][3]
In 2007, this genus and several others were transferred into Mesembryanthemum.[4] Two years later other authors proposed that this move be reversed.[5]
- Aptenia cordifolia – heart-leaf iceplant, baby sun-rose
- Aptenia geniculiflora
- Aptenia haeckeliana
- Aptenia lancifolia
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aptenia. |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Aptenia |
- 1 2 Aptenia. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
- 1 2 3 Aizoaceae. The Jepson eFlora 2013.
- 1 2 Aptenia. Flora of North America.
- ↑ Klak, C., et al. (2007). A phylogeny and new classification for Mesembryanthemoideae (Aizoaceae). Taxon 56(3), 737-56.
- ↑ Liede-Schumann, S. and H. E. Hartmann. (2009). Mesembryanthemum – back to the roots? Taxon 58(2), 345-46.
- ↑ Aptenia. The Plant List.