{{Short description|Genus of succulents}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Acrodon bellidiflorus illustration.jpeg | image_caption = ''Acrodon bellidiflorus'', illustration from ''Plantarum historia succulentarum'', 1802. | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Acrodon | authority = N.E.Br.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Aizoaceae/Acrodon/ | title=Acrodon — the Plant List }}</ref> | type_species = Acrodon bellidiflorus | type_species_authority = (L.) N.E.Br. }}
'''''Acrodon''''' is a genus of ice plants from South Africa. It comprises five species, mostly endangered and all restricted to the southern Cape regions of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://redlist.sanbi.org/genus.php?genus=125 | title=Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants }}</ref>
==Description== Species of ''Acrodon'' form dense, low mats or tufts of growth, and their leaves are triangular in cross-section.
Another distinctive feature is that the leaves and flowers have a few tiny teeth along the ends of their margins and keels.
The white or pink flowers often have striped petals. The fruits are solid and persistent, with five deep locules.<ref>Vlok, J. and Schutte-Vlok, A. 2010. ''Plants of the Klein Karoo''. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.</ref>
== History == Initially, Acrodon consisted of just one species - ''Acrodon bellidiflorus.'' A closer examination of ''Ruschia'' in 1986, however, found that several species shared traits with ''Acrodon bellidiflorus,'' resulting in them being moved to the genus ''Acrodon.'' Specifically, species in ''Acrodon'' had a more compact growth for while those in ''Ruschia'' formed shrubs, and ''Acrodon'' species had evenly spaced petals while ''Ruschia'' species had petals in five bundles. ''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Glen |first=H. F. |date=1986-10-28 |title=Numerical taxonomic studies in the subtribe Ruschiinae (Mesem-bryanthemaceae) — Astridia, Acrodon and Ebracteola |url=https://journals.abcjournal.aosis.co.za/index.php/abc/article/view/1088 |journal=Bothalia |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=203–226 |doi=10.4102/abc.v16i2.1088 |issn=2311-9284|doi-access=free }}</ref>''
A later examination of ''Acrodon'', specifically of the fruits, however, found that ''Acrodon'' likely consists of at least two distinct genera - ''Acrodon'' and ''Brianhuntleya''. The species of ''Acrodon'' species have funnel-shaped capsule base while those of ''Brianhuntleya'' have flat capsule bases. These two fruit types require different positionings and orientations on and of the stalk holding them.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Hartmann |first=Heidrun E.K. |last2=Niesler |first2=Ingeborg M. |date=2012 |title=A Gordion knot in Ruschioideae (Aizoaceae): Acrodon and Brianhuntleya in an attempt to disentangle the confusion |url=http://www.bioone.org/doi/10.25223/brad.n30.2012.a8 |journal=Bradleya |language=en |volume=30 |issue=30 |pages=33–60 |doi=10.25223/brad.n30.2012.a8 |issn=0265-086X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
== Species == The following species are recognised as of January 2023:<ref>{{GBIF |id= 3231699|taxon= ''Acrodon'' |accessdate=23 January 2023}}</ref> *''Acrodon bellidiflorus'' (L.) N.E.Br. A common Renosterveld species that extends from Hermanus to Oudtshoorn.<ref>[http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=125-1 ''Acrodon bellidiflorus'' - SANBI]</ref> *''Acrodon caespitosus'' H.E.K.Hartmann (Synonyms: ''Acrodon duplessiae'' (Bolus) Glen)<ref>{{GBIF |id= 5555077|taxon= ''Acrodon bellidiflorus'' |accessdate=23 January 2023}}</ref> *''Acrodon deminutus'' Klak. A rarer species restricted to quartz-fields in the Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld and Potberg Ferricrete Fynbos vegetation types.<ref>[http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=125-10 ''Acrodon deminutus'' - SANBI]</ref> *''Acrodon parvifolius'' R.du Plessis. An endangered species restricted to quartz and silcrete patches near to the coast, in the Botrivier area.<ref>[http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=125-5 ''Acrodon parvifolius'' - SANBI]</ref> *''Acrodon subulatus'' (Mill.) N.E.Br. An endangered species restricted to shale Renostervelds in the far western Overberg.<ref>[http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=125-6 ''Acrodon subulatus'' - SANBI]</ref> (Synonymns: ''Acrodon leptophyllus'' (Bolus) Glen)<ref>{{GBIF |id= 5555063|taxon= ''Acrodon subulatus'' |accessdate=23 January 2023}}</ref>
The following were previously included in ''Acrodon'' but have been moved to other genera: *''Acrodon purpureostylus'' (L.Bolus) Burgoyne - now ''Brianhuntleya purpureostyla'' (L.Bolus) H.E.K.Hartmann<ref>{{GBIF |id= 8680116|taxon= ''Acrodon purpureostylus'' |accessdate=23 January 2023}}</ref> *''Acrodon quarcicola'' H.E.K.Hartmann - now ''Brianhuntleya quarcicola'' (H.E.K.Hartmann) H.E.K.Hartmann<ref>{{GBIF |id= 5555065|taxon= ''Acrodon quarcicola'' |accessdate=23 January 2023}}</ref>
==Relatives== This species has historically been confused with Ruschia.<ref name=":0" /> It is frequently confused with related genera that grow in the same region, such as ''Brianhuntleya'' or ''Cerochlamys''.
==References== {{Commons category}} {{Reflist}}
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Category:Acrodon Category:Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Category:Aizoaceae genera Category:Taxa named by N. E. Brown
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