Xerophyte

Description

Piaranthus punctatusSN|29232]]SN|29232]] is one of the most beautiful species, whose flowers differ from all the others by its clearly developed corolla tube. The corolla lobes are broadly lanceolate, pointed, white to ivory-coloured with reddish or brown patches or transverse bands; the upper side has fine, papillous warts. Colour variations occur in the species. Piaranthus superficially resembles Huernia, but the flower stalks emanate all along the length of the stems, also near the top. In Huernia species flowers grow from the stem base. Huernia flowers grow solitary, while Piaranthus may issue more from the same node. There is no annulus here, common in Huernia.Stems; Decumbent or ascending, 1-6 cm long (to 15 cm in cultivation), 8-20 mm thick, oblong or somewhat clavate, or cylindrical, slightly rough, very obtusely 4-angled, with 4–5 small tubercle-like teeth along each angle, glabrous, dull green.

Inflorescences

1- to several flowered. arising above the middle of the stem. Pedicel 5-15(-25) mm long, 1.5-2 mm thick, glabrous, purplish.

Flowers

Scentless or honey-scented, five-pointed, star-shaped displaying strong recurving corolla lobes. Sepals lanceolate, acute, glabrous 2 - 3 mm long. Corolla 18-28 mm in diameter fused in the central half with a distinct cup-shaped to shortly campanulate tube 6-9 mm in diameter and 3-6 mm long, round. The outside of the corolla is shiny and greenish cream with a few vertical rows of dark red dots. Lobes about 6-9 mm long, 3-7 mm broad, lanceolate, acute, spreading, papillate (puberulous?) on the inner face, whitish faintly tinged with pink, , dotted with blood-red or brown patches or transverse bands. Papillae blunt to acute. conical. 0.1 - 0.2 mm. Corona 3 -4.5 x 3.5-5 mm barrel-shaped. The unopened buds show thick, spiny protrusions halfway up their length on the seams of the lobe margins.