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Family: Portulacaceae
Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Core Eudicots
> Order: Caryophyllales
There are about 30 genera and 450 species worldwide, of
which seven genera and 46 species are found in southern Africa. The family is
found mainly in the southern Hemisphere but also has a natural distribution
extending into North America and Eurasia.
Genera in southern Africa
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Anacampseros
The genus is endemic to southern Africa, with the 14
species distributed mainly in arid and semi-arid areas. |
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Avonia
Distributed in Somalia and southern Africa. Ten of
the 11 species occur in southern Africa, concentrated mainly in Namibia
and the Northern Cape. |
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* Calandrinia
The 12-15 species are indigenous to North and South
America, but one species, Calandrinia ciliata, has become
naturalised in the Western Cape. |
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Ceraria
The six species are distributed in Africa or which
three occur in southern Africa (Namibia and Northern Cape). |
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Portulaca
A cosmopolitan genus of 40 species, of which eight
occur in southern Africa, particularly in arid areas. |
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Portulacaria
The three species are endemic to southern Africa.
Includes Portulacaria afra (Spekboom - succulent tree or shrub found mainly in Eastern Cape). |
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Talinum
There are about 40 species, distributed in Africa
and the Americas, with five species indigenous to southern Africa, in
summer rainfall areas. |
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Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa
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Claytonia
Claytonia perfoliata is in
indigenous to western USA and Mexico and is cultivated
in southern Africa. |
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