The family Aizoaceae Rudolphi (Fig-marigold family) is a taxon of dicotyledonousflowering plants containing some 126 genera and about 1100 species. They are commonly known as stone plants or carpet weeds. An old taxonomic term for the group was Ficoideae. Most species in this family come from southern Africa, but a few are from Australia and the Central Pacific.
Most fig-marigolds are herbaceous, rarely somewhat woody, with stems growing either erect or prostrate. Leaves are simple, opposite or alternate, and more or less succulent with entire (or rarely toothed) margins. Flowers are perfect in most species (but unisexual in some), actinomorphic, and appear singularly or in few-flowered cymes developing from the leaf axils. Sepals are typically 5 (3-8) and more or less connate (fused) below. True petals are absent. However, some species have numerous linear petals derived from staminoides. The fruit is a capsule with one to numerous seeds per cell.
A few species (especially the Ice Plant, Carpobrotus edulis) have been widely introduced and become invasive. A species known as New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) is grown as a garden plant in somewhat dry climates and used as an alternative to spinach in upscale salads.
