Phyllobolus

Decumbent to erect shrublets or subshrubs, often with thickened roots, or prostrate to decumbent geophytes; stems corky or lignified throughout or only basally so, epidermal bladder cells conspicuous, occasionally hair-like, rarely flattened. Leaves decussate throughout or becoming alternate in inflorescences or alternate throughout, subcylindrical, rarely flattened, shortly fused towards bases, deciduous or drying and persistent (marcescent). Flowers in dichasia or solitary, (10-)20-30(-40) mm in diameter; in most species flowers close at night, some open at night and others never close. Sepals 4 or 5, often fused basally into a short tube. Petals in various shades of green, yellow, orange, red, pink or whitish. Staminodes present or 0. Nectary consisting of 5 separate grooves. Ovary mostly conical on top; placentas axile; stigmas 4 or 5, subulate. Fruit a 4- or 5-locular capsule, of Mesembryanthemum type; expanding keels extending to centre of fruit; covering membranes 0; valve wings mostly present and inflexed over valves or rarely reflexed and fused in pairs or 0. Seeds D-shaped or horseshoe-shaped, 1.1-1.8 mm long, usually black without a crest, or brown with a crest, surface rough, rarely smooth. F lowering from mid-winter to mid-summer. D istinguishing characters: perennials, with conspicuous bladder cell idioblasts on leaves; if rootstock is tuberous, leaves are summer-deciduous.