Description:

• Small, acaulescent, herbaceous, bulbous perennials; ± 150 mm tall, with leaves originating from a short, simple (rarely once-branched), cylindrical, subterranean butt; bulb ovoid-oblong, ± 20 mm in diameter, with few scales; roots succulent, few, fusiform
• Leaves succulent, slender, grass-like, flaccid, erect, deciduous, usually once or twice twisted, immaculate or with few to many white spots near base; margins armed with soft, white, decurved teeth; upper portion of leaves often dry
• Inflorescence a laxly flowered raceme, erect, ± 360 mm tall; peduncle terete and herbaceous, simple; bracteate, few flowers open simultaneously
• Flowers small, pedicellate, bilabiate; tube straight, base obtuse, indistinctly curved downwards and outwards, ascending
• Perianth: segments fused below, contiguous above, greenish, brownish or pinkish white, lobes short, recurved, apices free, cohering above when wilted, circumscissile below
• Stamens included
• Ovary oblong, with many axile ovules; style subulate; stigma minute, apical, included
• Capsule erect, apically acute, chartaceous when dry
• Seeds small, dark brown to black, irregularly angled, shortly winged
• x = 7

Nomenclature:

• Chortolirion A.Berger
  • Berger: 72 (1908)
  • Phillips: 149 (1926)
  • Phillips: 187 (1951)
  • Smith: 430 (1988)
  • Smith: 71 (1991)
  • Smith: 31 (1995)
• Haworthia Duval
  • Duval: 7 (1809) in part
  • Obermeyer: 119 (1973)
  • Dyer: 929 (1976)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Monotypic: Chortolirion angolense (Baker) A.Berger, southern Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe
• Southern Africa: Widespread in the summer-rainfall region