This
family includes a few distinctive native and introduced species of
prostrate or scrambling shrubs or herbs. The leaves of all the species
are more or less succulent, some are distinctively thick and fleshy.
They are most prominent in coastal areas. The flowers have no true
petals, but the sepals (as in Tetragonia) or staminodes (as
in Disphyma and Carpobrotus) may be conspicuous and
petal like.
This does not include a few very succulent species that may be naturalised. |