Gloveria integrifolia early fruit

The fruit of Gloveria integrifolia seen in the photo is a three-lobed capsule; red in colour and obconical to globose in shape. It becomes about 5 mm in diameter, bursting open (dehiscing) when ripe. The sepals are still present at the back, here against the fruit body.

Fruits are found on the plant in summer or early autumn. The fruit contains dark brown seeds covered fully by pinkish arils, of interest to hungry birds that serve in seed dispersal in exchange for being fed.

The many branches of this bush tend to curve down and sprout many small side-branches and spur-branchlets. Scattered, robust spines, often with leaf fascicles and dwarf spur-branchlets growing on them, are easy to see and important to avoid. These spines become 8 cm long and are grey on older wood (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Coates Palgrave, 2002).