Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Caryophyllales

Didiereaceae

Description of the family

Succulent to woody trees or shrubs, rarely climbing. Often xerophytes with spines; stems often with dimorphic shoots, long shoots succulent when young, woody when older, short shoots with spines and/or small leaves. Leaves often deciduous, simple, opposite or alternate; margins entire; stipules absent. Inflorescences terminal cymes or panicles. Flowers small, rarely large and showy, actinomorphic; bracteoles free, sometimes petaloid, persistent. Ovary superior, rarely part inferior; carpels fused; placentation basal. Fruit a dry and indehiscent achene, with persistent bracteoles.

This family traditionally consisted of Madagascan endemics, but in APG 3 it has been revised to include certain other genera from eastern and southern Africa, for example, Portulacaria. For the time being, we have retained the former scope of the family.

Worldwide: 4 genera and 11 species, occurring in Madagascar.

Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated genus and 1 cultivated taxon.

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Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Alluaudia DrakeDescription

Other sources of information about Didiereaceae:

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Didiereaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Didiereaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Didiereaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Didiereaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Didiereaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Didiereaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Didiereaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Didiereaceae
Wikipedia: Didiereaceae
Plants of the World Online: Didiereaceae
Tropicos: Didiereaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Didiereaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=318, retrieved 29 March 2024

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