Description:

• Compact, tufted perennials branching from base into clumps, with tuberous rootstock
• Leaves opposite, crowded, slightly connate at base, trigonous, upper surface flat or somewhat concave, lower surface deep and obtusely keeled, toothed along margins towards apex, keel not toothed, grey to glossy-green, unmarked, up to ± 60 mm long, 18 mm broad
• Flowers 1-3, solitary or in dichotomous cymes, 40-50 mm in diameter; peduncle 2-angled, shorter than leaves, with 1 or 2 pairs of bracts; pedicels ± erect, ± 100 mm long, slender, twice as long as leaves; opening in late afternoon and staying open a little after dark
• Sepals 5, subequal, somewhat keeled
• Petals linear-lanceolate, yellow with orange to reddish tips
• Stamens yellow, epapillate
• Nectary of 5 separate, crenulate glands
• Ovary conical above; placentas parietal; stigmas 5, filiform or subulate, recurved
• Fruit a 5-locular capsule; close to Mitrophyllum type, but with narrow valve wings; resembling capsules of Hereroa or Bergeranthus; rims of valves very high and expanding keels diverging on valves, not reaching deep into locule, both features resulting in an incomplete opening of valves; covering membranes reduced to a limb; closing bodies reduced or 0
• Seeds ± pear-shaped or orbicular, ± 1 mm long
• x = 9 (1 report)

• Flowering late winter to early summer (Carruanthus ringens (L.) Boom) or spring to early summer (Carruanthus peersii L.Bolus)

• Distinguishing characters:
  • Perennials with tuberous roots
  • Leaves toothed, smooth, yellowish green
  • Flowers yellow, pedicel long (up to 100 mm)

Nomenclature:

• Carruanthus (Schwantes) Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 106 (1927)
  • Herre: 104 (1971)
  • Smith et al.: 180 (1998)
• Tischleria Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 78 (1951)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 2, restricted to areas around Willowmore, straddling the border between the Western and Eastern Cape