Carruanthus

Compact, tufted perennials branching from base into clumps, with tuberous rootstock. Leaves opposite, crowded, slightly connate at base, trigonous, upper surface flat or somewhat concave, lower surface deep and obtusely keeled, toothed along margins towards apex, keel not toothed, grey to glossy-green, unmarked, up to +/- 60 mm long, 18 mm broad. Flowers 1-3, solitary or in dichotomous cymes, 40-50 mm in diameter; peduncle 2-angled, shorter than leaves, with 1 or 2 pairs of bracts; pedicels +/- erect, +/- 100 mm long, slender, twice as long as leaves; opening in late afternoon and staying open a little after dark. Sepals 5, subequal, somewhat keeled. Petals linear-lanceolate, yellow with orange to reddish tips. Stamens yellow, epapillate. Nectary of 5 separate, crenulate glands. Ovary conical above; placentas parietal; stigmas 5, filiform or subulate, recurved. Fruit a 5-locular capsule; close to Mitrophyllum type, but with narrow valve wings; resembling capsules of Hereroa or Bergeranthus; rims of valves very high and expanding keels diverging on valves, not reaching deep into locule, both features resulting in an incomplete opening of valves; covering membranes reduced to a limb; closing bodies reduced or 0. Seeds +/- pear-shaped or orbicular, +/- 1 mm long. x = 9 (1 report). F lowering late winter to early summer ( Carruanthusringens (L.) Boom) or spring to early summer ( Carruanthuspeersii L.Bolus). D istinguishing characters: perennials with tuberous roots and toothed, smooth, yellowish green leaves; flowers yellow, pedicel long (up to 100 mm).