Monsonia herrei wide open flowers

Monsonia herrei is an endangered dwarf stem-succulent occurring naturally in only a small part of the Richtersveld.

The flowers in picture have opened more widely than the common shallow bowl-shape of Monsonia corollas. Only five of the fifteen stamens have long filaments. They surround the five-branched stigma in the flower centre; the branches linear with receptive (sticky) inner sides, covered in minute nipple-like projections.

The finely dissected and lobed leaves of M. herrei simplify identification of this species. Leaves grow annually from upper stem parts.

The leaf stalks display a dimorphism similar to the two lengths of stamen filaments found in its flowers: There are two types of leaves on the plants, differentiated by leaf stalk length only. The stalks remain long after their leaf blades fall, persisting as spines among the new growing seasons foliage.

There is more on this plant in the Monsonia Album under Genera (Williamson, 2010; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; iNaturalist; http://llifle.com).