Description:
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Geophyte; rootstock tuberous, up to 6 cm in diameter, napiform, producing 1–2 woody stems to c. 6 cm long below ground; annual (aerial) stems 1–4, usually simple, 2–15(20) cm high, sometimes minutely papillose; leaves sessile, variable, from up to 9 × 0.5 cm and linear, or up to 6 × 1.5 cm and lanceolate, or up to 4 × 2 cm and obovate; stipules glandular, minute, evident on young growth only; cymes on peduncles up to 5(8) cm long, simple with cyme branches to 1 cm long, or cyathia solitary; bracts free, shorter than the involucre, c. 3 × 2 mm, oblong, margin denticulate; cyathia c. 5 × 3 mm, with barrel-shaped involucres; glandular rim 1.5–2 mm high, entire to crenulate, white or pink; lobes c. 1 × 1 mm, rounded; male flowers: bracteoles few, filamentous; stamens 3.2 mm long; female flower: styles 1 mm long, with thickened rugulose bifid apices; capsule c. 5 × 5.5 mm, obtusely 3-lobed, exserted on a reflexed pedicel 6–12 mm long, smooth; seeds c. 2.8 × 2.3 mm, conical with truncate base, minutely and densely verrucose, brown becoming purplish, caruncle absent. |