Description :

• Erect shrubs, up to 1.2 m high, with whitish grey branches
• Leaves decussate, connate at base, ± club-shaped, ± flat above and keeled towards apex; stomata somewhat sunken or superficial
• Flowers in rich terminal inflorescence composed of highly branched cymes; small, pedicellate, bracteate
• Sepals 5, triangular, fleshy, 2 outer the largest
• Petals ± 1-seriate and ± equal to sepals; short, purple to white
• Stamens and staminodes present, collected in a cone
• Nectary a crenulate ring
• Ovary ± convex on top, obtusely 5-lobed; placentas parietal; stigmas 5, short
• Fruit a capsular schizocarp, 5-locular; turbinate, breaking into nutlets consisting of parts of real and false septum enclosing one seed, with remains of valve wings and expanding keels adhering to it, persistent dorsal and apical connecting bundles forming a fibrous, basket-like skeleton remaining on plant; expanding keels with ornate, rudimentary wings; closing bodies large, filling greater part of locules
• Seeds 1 or 2 in each locule

• Flowering winter to early spring

• Distinguishing characters :
  • Shrubs with club-shaped leaves
  • Mature fruit split into nutlets which break away, leaving behind basket-like remains of the capsules
  • Locules with only 1 or 2 seeds contained in each

Nomenclature:

• Ruschianthemum Friedrich
  • Friedrich: 554 (1960)
  • Friedrich: 121 (1970)
  • Herre: 270 (1971)
  • Smith et al.: 362 (1998)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa : Species 1: Ruschianthemum gigas (Dinter) Friedrich, confined to a small area of the winter-rainfall region of the lower Orange River Valley of the Northern Cape and Namibia