Description:

• Dwarf, cushion-forming or single-bodied perennials, virtually stemless in early stages and with only fractional annual increments, internodes enclosed in young plants, moderately to profusely branched, rarely solitary bodies
• Leaves of each pair usually united into obconic, cylindric or oblong bodies, with a small, mouth-like opening in centre or between lobes; turning into dry sheaths protecting subsequent year's growth during dry season; green to brown, reddish or whitish blue, spotted or lined, often velvety, warted or windowed
• Flowers solitary, or in rare cases in delayed groups of two or three; with a prominent long perianth-stamen tube; emerging through opening in leaves sometimes appearing out of dry leaf sheath; bracts always present but concealed within leaves; usually scented; anthesis diurnal or nocturnal
• Petals few to many in 1-several series, spreading or recurved; partially united and sometimes connected to sepal tube; magenta to blackish or coppery-red, yellow, orange, pink, white and often bicoloured, rarely scarlet
• Sepals 4-6, united into a short, membranous tube above ovary, partly included or exserted from leaves
• Stamens few to many, erect, included or partly exserted from corolla tube
• Nectary a crenulate ring
• Ovary flat or convex on top; usually hidden inside body; stigmas 3-8, plumose, basal parts usually fused into a style of varying length; placenta parietal to basal, very rarely axile
• Fruit a 3-8-locular capsule, of Delosperma type; without covering membranes or closing bodies; very fragile, but often held together by leaves
• Seeds ovoid, smooth or rough, minute
• x = 9 (polyploidy)

• Flowering mostly in autumn, few species flowering in other seasons

• Distinguishing characters:
  • Cushion-forming or single-bodied perennials
  • Flowers with petals fused into a tube, pedicels with bracts

Nomenclature:

• Conophytum N.E.Br.
  • Brown: 198 (1922)
  • Friedrich: 27 (1970)
  • Herre: 120 (1971)
  • Hammer: (1993)
  • Hammer: 23 (1995a)
  • Hammer 34 (1995b)
  • Smith et al.: 86 (1998)
• Berrisfordia L.Bolus
  • Bolus: 313 (1932)
  • Herre: 92 (1971)
  • Hartmann: 60 (1993)
• Herreanthus Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 514 (1928)
  • Herre: 172 (1971)
  • Hartmann: 60 (1993)
• Derenbergia Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 137 (1925)
• Ophthalmophyllum (Dinter & Schwantes) Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 64 (1927)
  • Friedrich: 89 (1970)
  • Herre: 238 (1971)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 88, widely distributed over the winter-rainfall, semi-arid and arid regions, including the western parts of the Northern Cape notably Namaqualand, the Richtersveld and Bushmanland, the Western Cape including the Little Karoo and the southern margin of the Great Karoo
  • The genus just enters the western part of the Eastern Cape
  • More specifically the genus occurs northwards from Paarl to Alexander Bay and east to Pofadder, and in the south it ranges from Avondrust to Steytlerville
  • However, it is not found in parts of the Great Karoo which receive summer rain
  • The highest concentration of species is found in the Namaqualand region