Description:

• Dwarf perennials branched from base into clumps, mostly with 2 or 3 branches only
• Leaves opposite, somewhat unequal, gibbous-trigonous with a ± rounded oblique keel, one side ± flat, the other inflated, but both sides often indented; spreading and often pushed aside by old fruit capsules situated at centre of plant; surface smooth, glaucous, whitish, stomata ± superficial, outer epidermis wall very thick
• Flowers 1-3, shortly pedicellate, bracteate; opening at noon, closing at night
• Sepals 5, subequal
• Petals 2-seriate, free, cuneately linear, yellow
• Stamens collected in a column, epapillate
• Nectary of 5 separate glands
• Ovary slightly conical above; placentas parietal; stigmas 5, filiform
• Fruit a 5-locular capsule; valves erect in expanded capsule; valve rims broad; close to Mitrophyllum type with well-developed hood-shaped closing bodies and short ± tangential expanding keels gradually merging into expanding sheets; covering membranes present, slightly stiff, with acute depressions between ridges
• Seeds acutely ovoid, several per locule
• x = 9 (1 report)

• Flowering in autumn

• Distinguishing characters:
  • Perennials with boat-shaped, unequal, light green to yellowish white leaves
  • Flowers large, yellow
  • Fruit persistent

Nomenclature:

• Bijlia N.E.Br.
  • Brown: 267 (1928)
  • Herre: 94 (1971)
  • Hartmann: 173 (199)
  • Hammer 195 (1995)
  • Smith et al.: 136 (1998)
• Bolusanthemum Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 514 (1928)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 2, rather restricted distribution in the Western Cape where it occurs near the small town of Prince Albert