Description :

• Perennial, ± leafless, ± glabrous succulents or subsucculents, trailing or twining, or occasionally shrubby
• Leaves rudimentary
• Flowers in lateral or terminal, sessile umbels
• Sepals narrowly ovate-triangular, with scales within base
• Corolla deeply lobed; lobes oblong or oblong-elliptic, margins recurved
• Corona 2-seriate, arising from filament part of staminal column; outer corona annular, cup- or basin-shaped, 5-angled, truncate or shortly lobed; inner corona attached to staminal column almost throughout, of 5 fleshy, compressed or keeled lobes, enclosed at base by outer corona
• Anthers 2-locular, with membranous, ovate, inflexed or ascending appendages
• Pollinia very narrowly ovate, pendulous; caudicles shorter than pollinia; corpuscle very narrowly ovate, deep maroon
• Follicles narrowly fusiform, usually bluntly beaked, often with somewhat membranous surface
• Seeds compressed, ovate, narrowly winged, smooth
• x = 11 (9, 10)

Nomenclature:

• Sarcostemma R.Br.
  • Brown: 50 (1810)
  • Brown: 755 (1908)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species 10, in arid parts of Old World
• Southern Africa : Species 2, 1 widespread except in southwestern region of Western Cape