''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

, in the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae (), or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly known as 'ice plants' or 'carpet weeds'. The Aizoaceae are also referred to a ...

, indigenous to the dryer parts of

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

Description

Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross-section and are often covered with tiny darker transparent spots. Occasionally the leaves also have toothed margins. Another common feature is the small, year-round, pink or white flower clusters.J. Manning: ''Field Guide to Fynbos''. Struik, 2007. p.334. The genus can be distinguished with certainty though, by its seed capsules. As with most Aizoaceae, these are hygrochastic, with triangular valves that open and close with changes in humidity. The seed capsule valves of ''Ruschia'' have a little closing body to pull them closed when they dry again, and two keels on either side of the closing body, which expand and push open the valve. There is a covering membrane too, which partially covers the seeds, to prevent them all being washed away immediately. In contrast, the seed chambers of ''

Delosperma ''Delosperma'' ('delos'=evident, 'sperma'=seed) is a genus of around 170 species of succulent plants, formerly included in ''Mesembryanthemum'' in the family Aizoaceae. It was defined by English botanist N. E. Brown in 1925. The genus is common ...

'' have no covering membrane, leaving the seeds entirely exposed when the capsule opens. The seed chamber valves of genus ''

Lampranthus ''Lampranthus'' is a genus of succulent plants in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to southern Africa. Description The genus name ''"Lampranthus"'' means ''"shining-flowers"'' in Greek, and the species of this genus have unusually large, bright ...

'' have only the two expanding keels while the closing body is present, but not visible, and ''Lampranthus'' valves also have wings on either side.

Species

Over 400 species are described, though many have subsequently been moved to the new genus ''

Antimima ''Antimima'' is a succulent plant genus in the family Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae (), or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly known as ...

''. 208 species are accepted by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

. Species occur in

Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

(including the Cape Provinces, Free State and Northern Provinces) and

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

: File:Ruschia maxima - clanwilliam RSA.jpg, ''

Ruschia maxima ''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the dryer parts of southern Africa. Description Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross- ...

'' File:Ruschia karooica foliage.jpg, ''

Ruschia karooica ''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the dryer parts of southern Africa. Description Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross- ...

'' File:Ruschia lineolata 9.jpg, ''

Ruschia lineolata ''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the dryer parts of southern Africa. Description Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross- ...

'' File:Spiny Ruschia (Ruschia spinosa) (32740893156).jpg, ''

Ruschia spinosa ''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the dryer parts of southern Africa. Description Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross- ...

'' File:Ruschia uncinata 1c.JPG, ''

Ruschia uncinata ''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the dryer parts of southern Africa. Description Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross- ...

'' File:Ruschia pulvinaris 1.jpg, ''

Ruschia pulvinaris ''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the dryer parts of southern Africa. Description Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross- ...

'' File:Ruschia crassa KirstenboschBotGard09292010A.JPG, ''

Ruschia crassa ''Ruschia'' is a genus of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the dryer parts of southern Africa. Description Typical features of the genus include grey or blue-green succulent leaves, that are 3-sided or triangular in cross- ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q143254 Aizoaceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Plants described in 1926 Flora of Southern Africa