Carpet-weed family
Description
A large family of herbs or low shrubs with fleshy undivided leaves and showy regular flowers with many petals resembling daisies (Aizoaceae 1). The fruit is a capsule.
The plants occur in temperate southern regions, but the family is most developed in South Africa.
There are over 100 genera, most of them xerophytic.
Use
Besides many ornamentals which are found in this family, the Genus Tetragonia provides New Zealand spinach.
Described species
Tetragonia expansa, New Zealand spinach