Ebracteola

Compact, tufted, dwarf, much-branched perennials with thickened roots. Leaves opposite, connate at base, trigonous to triquetrous, narrowing towards the apiculate apex, 30 -40 mm long, 10 mm wide, light greyish green to blue-green becoming tinged with red in sunlight, often with dense, black or green dots, surface +/- smooth; stomata only slightly sunken. Flowers 1(-3), terminal, shortly pedicellate, pedicels seemingly without bracts but bracts borne low down and difficult to see when whithered; up to +/- 25 mm in diameter; opening late morning, closing evening. Sepals 5, free. Petals +/- 1-seriate, purple to light purple with colour more intense at tips, or pure white. Stamens with linear filaments; staminodes surrounding stamens in a central cone. Nectary a crenulate ring. Ovary with placentas parietal; stigmas 5, subulate, +/- plumose. Fruit a 5-locular capsule, persisting for many years on plants; broad expanding keels and broad valve wings indicate a relation to Titanopsis type of fruit, but deep locules and hook-shaped closing bodies agree with Ruschia type; valve wings narrow; expanding keels broad, sheet-like, toothed; covering membranes stiff; closing bodies small, often crenulate as in Hereroa. Seeds subglobose, smooth, whitish. F lowering spring and summer ( E. wilmaniae (L.Bolus) Glen) or throughout the year. D istinguishing characters: tufted perennials with thickened rootstock; leaves bluish green; flowers purple fading to pink or white towards centre, or white.