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.
A few very succulent species may be naturalised are not included
in the key here. They can be distinguished from other succulent
species (e.g. Disphyma crassifolia) because they are either hairy or have shining bladder cells.
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