Psilocaulon (Psilocaulon)
Description
The species of the genus Psilocaulon are lying, low-lying or upright small shrubs with fibrous roots . Depending on the water supply, some species are short-lived to one- year-old . The green bark of the internodes is to some extent succulent and contains additional vascular bundles. In most species the internodes have a distinct fine horizontal channel. Their leaves are almost cylindrical or slightly triangular. They are arranged crosswise, are briefly interlaced at their base, or are freed, and are often provided with skin-like margins on the leaf sheath. The leaves are one year old and either fall off or dry. Central water storage cells are not available. The bladder cells of the internodes and broadleaf are mesomorphic, arched, hairy, or flattened. The flowers form zymen and are rarely single. They have a diameter of 5 to 25 millimeters. There are four to five sepals , which are fused together into a short tube. The few, pink, brown-red, yellow or white petals are very closely interrelated or free. The filiform staminodes are combined into a cone. The nectaries are narrowly crescent-shaped or missing. The four- to five-faced, powerful capsule fruits have downwardly bent valve wings. The capsule fruits contain ocher to brown, sometimes darkly carved seeds with a rough to smooth seed shell . They are 0.5 to 1.2 millimeters long.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Aizoaceae
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Genus: Psilocaulon
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