Arenifera

Shrublets, +/- 150 mm high, densely branched. Leaves slightly connate at base, members of a leaf pair somewhat unequal in size and shape; younger ones green and viscid, increasingly covered by adhering dust and sand with age, surface glaucous and rough, with warty elevations above the subhypodermal tannin idioblasts, obtuse, somewhat convex; up to 25 mm long and 5 mm broad and thick, somewhat curved and blunt above and along sides; shorter leaves 6-15 mm long, +/- 7 mm diameter. Flowers in ternate inflorescence, with lateral ones sometimes developing rather slowly; peduncle terete, central pedicel without bracts; flowers open at midday. Petals 2-seriate, recurved, linear, obtuse or subacute, +/- 22 mm in diameter, pale rose to light violet, with an inconspicuous, central band. Sepals 4, almost equal, interior ones with a broad, membranous margin. Stamens with surrounding staminodes; filaments sparingly bearded at base; anthers and pollen whitish. Nectary a dark green crenulate ring. Ovary slightly convex above; placentas parietal; stigmas 8, long, subulate, conspicuously fringed at base. Fruit a 8-locular capsule, of Ruschia type but with valve wings, turbinate, +/- 8 mm in diameter, woody, cupular, margins of valves prominent, forming a small column in centre; valves transversely ribbed, with 2 conspicuous, recurved teeth at tip; valve wings large; expanding keels parallel, diverging widely at tips; covering membranes half covering locules, additional closing devices (projections) at opening; closing bodies conspicuous. Seeds long, quadrangular, somewhat convex, finely ribbed longitudinally, light yellowish brown. F lowering autumn and winter. D istinguishing characters: many-branched perennials with reddish brown stems; leaves often with adhering sand; fruit 6-8-locular.