Description:

• Compact, tufted, mat-forming or shrubby perennials, often with a compact centre forming long shoots; isophyllous or heterophyllous
• Leaves of isophyllous species boat-shaped with convex sides, to nearly finger-shaped, often keeled in upper part, of heterophyllous species mostly oval and very often connate for at least part of their length, enveloping subsequent leaf pair during resting season, mucronate, epidermis cells flat to papillate, with wax cover smooth or, in papillate forms, with a smooth lateral channel and wax flakes or platelets on remaining surface
• Flowers 1(-3), rarely in well-developed cymes; bracts and bracteoles present; opening in the morning and closing in evening; sometimes strongly scented
• Petals often arranged in 5, rarely 6 groups, pink to purple, rarely white; staminodes mostly in a central cone surrounding stamens closely
• Nectary a crenulate ring
• Ovary with basal-parietal placentas; stigmas 5(6), subulate
• Fruit a 5(6)-locular capsule, close to Leipoldtia type, stalked, always with persisting bracteoles, top with high or low valve rims, base mostly bowl-shaped, sometimes funnel-shaped; covering membranes undulate, more rarely straight, mostly elevated in centre, in several species with radial or tangential wings or other protrusions on them; closing bodies large, rarely small and 0 in one species; expanding keels broad, diverging and radial in distal part, reaching tip of valve; valves with or without mostly narrow valve wings

• Flowering throughout the year with a peak in winter

• Distinguishing characters:
  • Variable perennials, sometimes heterophyllous
  • Leaves often rough-textured
  • Capsues 5-locular with large, stalked, white closing bodies

Nomenclature:

• Antimima N.E.Br. emend. Dehn
  • Brown: 211 (1930)
  • Dehn: 189 (1988)
  • Hartmann: 229 (1996)
  • Hartmann & Stüber: 1 (1993)
  • Hartmann: 67 (1998)
  • Smith et al.: 246 (1998)
• Ruschia Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 186 (1926) in part

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 99, most species occur in the winter-rainfall area along the southwestern coast, from near Aus in Namibia to the south, extending into South Africa as far as the Eastern Cape. Only a few species are found in the Great Karoo of the Northern Cape and Free State