Meyerophytum

Low, compact shrublets with prostrate to ascending branches, internodes well visible, old dry leaf sheaths persistent. Leaves opposite, of 2 kinds: first leaf pair of season globose, grey-green; second united for a third to half length, deeper green, with conspicuous bladder cell idioblasts, base of latter developing into a papery parchment-like sheath enclosing first (assimilating) leaf pair of next season during dry period. Flowers solitary, terminal, long-pedicelled, thus well exserted above a long leaf pair, up to 40 mm in diameter; opening at midday, closing in afternoon. Sepals 5, subequal. Petals 3- or 4-seriate, linear, violet-purple or white. Stamens erect, inner ones papillate at base; staminodes 0. Nectary a crenulate ring. Ovary flat to concave on top; placentas parietal; stigmas 5, broad, plumose. Fruit a 5-locular capsule, of Mitrophyllum type but with deeply concave covering membranes with a prominent distal bulge touching the protuberance reaching from base of expanding sheet into locule; closing bodies 0; valve wings ample; expanding keels flat. Seeds ovoid or pear-shaped, smooth. x = 9. F lowering after good rains in spring. D istinguishing characters: compact shrublets with weak, repeatedly branching stems; resting leaf bodies conspicuous.