Description :

• Seasonal perennials
• Rootstock a small globose corm rooting from below, basal in origin, tunics of fine fibres
• Stem short or long, erect, terete, often with 1-3 short branches
• Leaves few, lower 2 or 3 cataphylls; foliage leaves 2 or 3, unifacial, with a definite midrib, prostrate, soft-textured
• Inflorescence of solitary flowers terminal on axes; bracts green, coriaceous, inner often slightly longer, or slightly shorter than outer, often notched apically
• Flowers zygomorphic, tubular or hypocrateriform, whitish or pink, sometimes with contrasting markings on lower tepals, sometimes sweetly scented, with nectar from septal nectaries; perianth tube cylindric and elongate
• Tepals subequal, spreading or dorsal ones erect, slightly larger, and cucullate
• Stamens unilateral and arcuate, arising shortly below mouth of tube; anthers exserted; pollen monosulcate, operculate, exine perforate
• Style filiform, exserted, branches short, deeply divided and recurved
• Capsules oblong to cylindric, cartilaginous
• Seeds strongly angled, with a chalazal crest, rugulose, matte, surface areolate
• x = 11

Classification Notes:

• The relationships of the genus are uncertain

Nomenclature:

• Xenoscapa (Goldblatt) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
  • Goldblatt & Manning: 172 (1995)
• Anomatheca Ker Gawl. section Xenoscapa Goldblatt
  • Goldblatt: 88 (1972)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa : Species 2, 1 widespread in the winter-rainfall region and one highly localised in Namaqualand (Northern Cape), either on granite or clay soils

Additional Notes:

• Xenoscapa uliginosa is pollinated by the long-proboscid fly, Prosoeca peringueyi (Nemestrinidae), and X. fistulosa , which has fragrant flowers, probably by moths