Schizoglossum bidens subsp. atrorubens

Schizoglossum bidens subsp. atrorubens, commonly known as the variable schizoglossum, is a perennial succulent herb growing from an underground carrot-like stem tuber.

The narrowly oblong leaves grow unstalked in spaced, spreading whorls of about five around the stems. The long, narrow to linear blades have sunken midribs and rolled under lateral margins.

The distribution of this South African endemic is inland in the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The photo was taken near the Sani Pass.

The habitat is grassland. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).