Huernia transvaalensis flower

The flowers of the Transvaal huernia or lifebuoy plant, botanically known as Huernia transvaalensis, range between 4 and 5 cm in diameter. The five-pointed, stubby, star shape of the corolla is similar to the generic Huernia flower pattern, large obtuse angles occurring between the deltoid, often low peaked isosceles triangle lobes. The lobe tips are elongated, attenuating to acute points.

The corolla surface colour alternates between pale yellow or cream and purple patches. These patches exhibit great irregularity in shape and size, unlike H. zebrina where the same two colours achieve almost linear regularity or H. guttata (and several others) where speckles or spots prevail.

The purple annulus or circular bulge around the corona is usually shiny. It is this bulge, resembling a lifebuoy that gave the plant one of its common names. The outer corona consists of rectangular lobes, each forked into two sections, yellowish in colour with purple margins. The inner corona has erect purple lobes that taper to acute tips and recurve (White and Sloane, 1937).