Description :

• Terrestrial geophytes sometimes inhabiting seasonal marshes
• Corms asymmetrical, covered with thin dark brown tunics; new corms with a basal bulge, with tunics forming a downward fold over bulge through which roots appear fan-wise
• Shoot forming a neck covered with old leaf bases
• Leaves 1 or 2, basal one narrowly to broadly linear, sheathing, upper leaf reduced to inflated, sheathing bract
• Flowers in a scorpioid cyme, ebracteate, usually many, sessile, alternate on a somewhat zigzag rachis
• Perianth : segments free, equal, ovate, auriculate below, with 2 dark nectaries forming a tube or groove down each side of claw, deciduous, falling with stamens, white or pink or pink-spotted
• Stamens arising at base of perianth segments; anthers purple, versatile, introrse
• Ovary ovoid or obovoid, trisulcate, with many ovules; styles 3, arising centrally on ovary, filiform; stigma apical, minute
• Capsule obtusely ovoid, or obovoid, angled and triumbonate, topped with persistent style bases
• Seeds subglobose, angled through pressure
• x = 10 (1 report)

Nomenclature:

• Onixotis Raf.
  • Rafinesque: 32 (1837)
  • Mabberley: 600 (1980)
• Dipidax Salisb.
  • Salisbury: 54 (1866)
  • Bentham & Hooker: 824 (1883)
  • Baker: 523 (1897)
  • Adamson: 202 (1950)
  • Leinfellner: 445 (1960)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species ± 4
• Southern Africa : Species 2: Onixotis punctata (L.) Mabberley, a terrestrial species and O. triquetra (L.f.) Mabberley, in marshes, Western Cape