Description:

• Tufted perennials up to 180 mm high, with short branches, often forming large cushions; stems woody with age, but internodes hidden, procumbent to ascending
• Leaves opposite, connate at base, cylindric or terete, up to ± 100 mm long, 8 mm in diameter, grey-green, often reddish, finely dotted, fairly crowded, old leaves persistent; epidermis with elongate elevations of several cell rows, stomata in valleys, outer epidermal walls very thick and layered, thick waxy layer on epidermis
• Flowers solitary, terminal, shortly pedicellate, ebracteate, ± 70 mm in diameter; opening at noon, closing by evening
• Sepals 5, 3 larger than others and keeled
• Petals short, in several series, whitish to yellow or pinkish, often with darker colours in centre
• Stamens in several series, epapillate
• Staminodes conically collected, orange or reddish
• Nectary a crenulate ring
• Ovary fairly sharply conical on top; placentas parietal; stigmas 5-11, subulate, much shorter than stamens
• Fruit a 5-11 locular capsule; of firm consistency, locules deep, and placenta parietal as in Ruschia type; with long, narrow, awn-like valve wings (not awn-like in C. tugwelliae L.Bolus); expanding keels toothed, parallel; covering membranes present; closing bodies small
• Seeds orbicular, tessellate, dark brown
• x = 9

• Flowering from spring to early summer

• Distinguishing characters:
  • Tufted perennials, with cylindrical leaves
  • Flowers large, yellowish with many stamens
  • Fruit with toothed parallel expanding keels and long, awn-like valve wings
  • Placentation partially axile

Nomenclature:

• Cylindrophyllum Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 15, 28 (1927)
  • Herre: 122 (1971)
  • Smith et al.: 210 (1998)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 6, mainly in the Little Karoo in the Western Cape
  • Cylindrophyllum dyeri L.Bolus has been recorded from Jansenville in the Eastern Cape and C. hallii L.Bolus on Brakfontein, near Loeriesfontein in the Northern Cape