Xerophyte

Seeds

3.5-4.5 long, 2-3 mm thick.

Description

Piaranthus geminatusSN|18033]]SN|18024]] is a clumping and prostrate species that spread over the ground forming large cushions. Flowers are five-pointed fleshy stars varying from whitish, yellowish, reddish or bright brown, with or without brown-red dots or transverse lines sometime condensed to a more or less plain colouration. It is very variable and has received numerous unnecessary names of no botanical value, representing no more than local phenotypes.

Flowers

1 to 3 (rarely more) in a short inflorescence at the tips of the stems. Pedicels (2-)6-12(-20) mm long, x 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous. Sepals 2-4 mm long, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous. Corolla about 13 mm to 42 mm in diameter, star-shaped, without a tube valerian scented with fruity component, more or less pubescent. Corolla-lobes widely spreading, 10-14 mm long, about 4-5 mm broad at the base, lanceolate or gradually tapering to the acute apex, with revolute margins, glabrous on the back, and velvety all over the inner face, more or less hairy; Hairs 0.1-0-9 mm, conical, white, brown or purple, basal margins of the lobes not ciliateor very rarely with clavate hairs. Lobes colour varying from whitish, yellowish, greenish-yellow reddish or bright brown, with or without brown-red dots or transverse lines (sometime condensed to a more or less plain colouration) margin recurved. Corona 2.5-3.2 tall, 3.2-6.5 mm wide, usually yellow and unspotted. Corona-lobes about 1-2 mm x 0.5-1.2 mm, linear-lanceolate or narrowly-oblong, acute or slightly toothed at the apex, closely incumbent upon the backs of the anthers and shortly exceeding them but not connivent-erect, dorsally produced at the base into a spreading crest entire or minutely subdenticulate at the dorsal margin, flat or nearly so and not tuberculate on the top, the entire corona appearing (viewed from above) like a star with 5 short rounded lobes connected at the base, yellow. Pollinia 0.4-0.65 by 0.25-0.4 mm.

Blooming Season

Produces numerous flowers simultaneously in October.

Stem

Procumbent, decumbent or ascending 1-6 (or under cultivation up to 15) cm long, 12-18(-25) mm thick, divided in short squat ovoid or cylindrical articles obtuse to obscurely 4-(5-)angled, with 2-4 minute teeth 1 mm hight, along each angle. Surface glabrous, smooth or slightly rough, light-green tips faintly purple.

Fruits

6-13 cm long.