A N F Keys
1 Petals and petal-like staminodes present
2 Perennial herbs; leaves strictly opposite
3 Leaves petiolate, blades flattened or somewhat flattened, lower surface with raised, water-filled epidermal cells (vesiculate); flowers 8−20 mm across .. Aptenia
3' Leaves sessile, blades succulent and fingerlike, surfaces smooth; flowers 25−100 mm across
4 Leaves bluntly 3-sided, glaucous pale bluish green; flowers vibrant rose magenta but orange-red on upper surface of petals .. Malephora crocea [pics]
4' Leaves sharply 3-angled and 3-sided, green to glaucous green; flowers rose magenta, reddish purple, pinkish rose-magenta (rose), or yellow .. Carpobrotus
2' Halophytic annuals; leaves both opposite and helically alternate, covered with glistening, water-filled, bladderlike cells (vesiculate); petals and staminodes white with greenish base .. Mesembryanthemum
1' Petals and petal-like staminodes absent
5 Shoots with T-shaped (2-armed) hairs; leaves nearly sessile, blades spatulate-obovate to obovate, 5−33 mm long, folded upward; stamens 10 with 5 pairs fused at base; ovary ± superior; capsule 2.5−3 mm long .. Galenia pubescens [pics]
5' Shoots lacking T-shaped (2-armed) hairs but conspicuously covered with water-filled, bladderlike cells (vesiculate); leaves petiolate, blades triangular-to rhombic-ovate or ovate, 8−70 mm long, inrolled and often wavy on margins; stamens 10 or 15, not fused at bases; ovary inferior; fruit nutletlike, hard and indehiscent, with 4 or 6 short horns, 6.5−12 mm long .. Tetragonia tetragonioides [pics]
1 Leaves somewhat fleshy with dark green, heart-shaped blades; with 1-several-flowered axillary cymes; flower ca. 10 mm across; petals and petal-like staminodes magenta .. Aptenia cordifolia [pics]
1' Leaves definitely fleshy or succulent with yellowish green, ovate blades; flowers solitary and axillary, 18-20 mm across; petals and petal-like staminodes strawberry red, vivid red, or orangered .. Aptenia cordifolia × A. haeckeliana 'Red Apple' [pics]
Carpobrotus N. E. Brown
FIG-MARIGOLD
1 Leaves sharply triangular, fully developed 50−120 mm long, minutely serrate on lower margin approaching tip; flower 60−100 mm across, petals 20−40 mm long and yellow to pinkish or rose-magenta; berry 20−35 mm long .. Carpobrotus edulis [pics]
1' Leaves with lower faces convex, fully developed 25−50 mm long, entire approaching tip; flower 25−30 mm across, petals 8−12 mm long and magenta to reddish purple; berry 17−20 mm long .. Carpobrotus chilensis [pics]
1 Leaves flat, 15−70 mm wide; flowers 15−24 mm across .. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum [pics]
1' Leaves subcylindric, < 3 mm wide; flowers 9−13 mm across .. Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum [pics]
The text of the above keys used with permission from
A Naturalist's Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California
© Copyright
Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
2013