English: Carpet weed family.
Members: ± 16 genera; ± 120 species
Genera: Adenogramma, Coelanthum, Glinus, Hypertelis, Mollugo, Paramollugo, Pharnaceum, Polpoda, Psammotropha, Suessenguthiella, Trigastrotheca.
India:
Glinus lotoides;
Glinus oppositifolius;
Mollugo cerviana; Mollugo disticha; Mollugo nudicaulis;
Mollugo pentaphylla.
Clades:
Physenales;
Caryophyllidae;
Asteranae;
Angiospermae;
Plants.
Region: tropics and subtropics; Southern Africa.
Habitat: sandy places in arid areas.
TaxonomyMolluginaceae was previously included in the
Aizoaceae. The Apg3 system made no change in the status of the family as compared to the Apg2 system, except placing Corrigiola and Telephium into
Caryophyllaceae, Corbichonia in
Lophiocarpaceae, Microtea into
Microteaceae and Limeum in
Limeaceae. In addition Macarthuria was found not to be related to Limeum and was placed in Macarthuriaceae. Similarly species formerly placed in Hypertelis, apart from type species
Hypertelis spergulacea were found to belong elsewhere and were described as Kewa in the family Kewaceae.
Molluginaceae is still assigned to the order
Caryophyllales.
BotanyHerbs, dwarf shrubs.
Leaves: fleshy or succulent; opposite; whorled or alternate; stipules membranous or lacking.
Flowers: small; regular; petals 4 to 5, green-white, sometimes pink or red; sepals white petaloid; stamens 5 to 10, free; ovary superior, with several locules; styles as many as locules.
Fruit: capsule.