Description:

• Decumbent to erect shrubs, 150-1000 mm high, with fibrous roots; stems (young) weakly lignified, articulate, green and succulent; epidermal bladder cells tall, closely packed; old stems woody
• Leaves decussate, ± terete, free or shortly fused towards bases, ephemeral, sometimes spinescent; bladder cells at base and edges often becoming hair-like
• Flowers solitary or in dichasia, 5-25 mm diameter; open during daylight hours
• Sepals 4 or 5, ± equal, consistently erect during anthesis
• Petals free towards bases, cream; staminodes 0
• Nectary consisting of 4 or 5 separate grooves
• Ovary with axile placentas; stigmas 4 or 5
• Fruit a 4- or 5-locular capsule, of Mesembryanthemum type, rarely nut-like; expanding keels extending to centre of fruit; valve wings present; sometimes with a basal seed pocket, then expanding keels not separated by placenta
• Seeds D- or pear-shaped, 1-1.3 mm long, surface mostly smooth, rarely rough, ochre or brown
• x = 9 (polyploidy)

• Flowering spring to early summer

• Distinguishing characters:
  • Stems succulent, later becoming woody
  • Bladder cell idioblasts closely packed on stems and loosely arranged on leaves
  • Leaves free or shortly fused at the bases

Nomenclature:

• Brownanthus Schwantes
  • Schwantes: 14 (1927)
  • Ihlenfeldt & Bittrich: 289 (1985)
  • Bittrich: 5 (1986)
  • Pierce & Gerbaulet: 42 (1997)
  • Smith et al.: 34 (1998)
• Pseudobrownanthus Ihlenf. & Bittrich
  • Ihlenfeldt & Bittrich: 319 (1985)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 10, both summer- and winter-rainfall regions of the Western and Northern Cape, also in Namibia and extending into Angola