Description:

• Dwarf perennials, compact to caespitose, or with branching habit, up to 1.2 m in diameter; stems often rooting at nodes
• Leaves opposite, crowded, up to ± 200 mm long, 20 mm broad, sharply triangular in cross section, mucronate, tapering to sharp points, canescent, surface dotless, very smooth, pale green, sometimes flushed with red, sometimes becoming whitish green; old leaves persistent; stomata superficial, outer epidermal wall densely filled with crystals
• Flowers solitary or mostly in threes, on long pedicels with large bracts, up to 65 mm in diameter; usually nocturnal
• Sepals 5-8, unequal, acuminate or occasionally obtuse
• Petals densely 3-7-seriate, copper-red outside, yellow, golden or orange within
• Stamens many, only inner stamens inconspicuously papillate, up to 1000 elements in androecium; staminodes 0
• Nectary a crenulate ring, or of ± separate glands, sometimes with nectariferous depression at base
• Ovary usually convex or conical above; placentas parietal; stigmas 5-15, slender
• Fruit a 5-15-locular capsule; resembling capsule of Cylindrophyllum and therefore perhaps close to Leipoldtia type, but with a ± spongy tissue in covering membrane; small closing bodies and no additional closing devices at distal opening
• Seeds ovoid, granulate
• x = 9 (1 report)

• Flowering late winter to early summer

• Distinguishing characters:
  • Tufted, robust perennials
  • Leaves smooth, hard
  • Flowers large to very large with many petals and staminodes, usually nocturnal
  • Pedicels long, bracteate

Nomenclature:

• Machairophyllum Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 187 (1927)
  • Herre: 198 (1971)
  • Hammer: 77 (1991)
  • Smith et al.: 220 (1998)
• Perissolobus N.E.Br.
  • Brown: 278 (1930)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 10, predominantly Little Karoo, extending from Barrydale (Western Cape) in the west to Willowmore in the east, also recorded from Zuurberg in Eastern Cape