Description:

• Perennial herbs with annual flowering shoots; sap milky
• Stems erect, unbranched, with indumentum evenly distributed or rarely in vertical lines
• Leaves irregularly inserted (or sometimes opposite) below inflorescence, verticillate (rarely irregular) in inflorescence, usually hairy, occasionally glabrous; petiole short; lamina linear to narrowly triangular; margin revolute
• Flowers in fascicles at distal nodes of stem, terminal fascicle appearing umbellate in those species that have reduced upper leaves; inconspicuous; pedicels pilose; bracteoles filiform
• Calyx shorter than corolla; segments triangular, usually with indumentum on ventral, as well as dorsal, surface; margin ciliate
• Corolla: lobes elliptic, characteristically reflexed at anthesis (except in M. davyi); dorsal surface with variable indumentum, ventral surface always densely puberulous except for a glabrous band along left hand margin (seen from centre of flower); right hand margin ciliate
• Corona arising from staminal column; lobes thick, fleshy, not dorsiventrally or laterally compressed, alternating with petals, each representing a dorsal outgrowth from opposing stamen
• Anthers 2-locular, with apical, membranous, often strongly undulate appendage resting on style head; anther wings horny; wings of adjacent anthers closely opposed, forming a narrow gynostegial groove between them blocked at its upper end by a corpuscle
• Pollinia pendulous, sausage-shaped, slightly dorsiventrally compressed, without a defined germination zone; caudicels flattened, ribbon-like; corpuscle often flanged
• Follicles densely lanate-pubescent, covered with soft, appressed bristles or bristles 0
• Seeds many, compressed-ovoid, dark brown, rugose and with apical tuft of hairs

Nomenclature:

• Miraglossum Kupicha
  • Kupicha: 625 (1984)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 7, endemic, eastern half of region