Schizoglossum hamatum

Schizoglossum hamatum, commonly the hooked split-tongue, is an erect, tuberous perennial growing to heights from 25 cm to 60 cm. A deciduous plant, the flowering shoots are produced annually from a tuber.

The simple leaves ascend opposite and decussate (at a right angle from the previous pair), on short petioles of up to 4 mm from the little-branched stems. The leaf-shape is oblong to lanceolate, the leaf base blunt to heart-shaped and the tip narrowly rounded to slightly pointed. The leaf is bright green on top, duller below, spaced lateral veins curve up from the midrib, the venation sunken on top. The leaf margins are entire and wavy. Leaf dimensions are from 2,2 cm to 4,4 cm long and 0,8 cm to 2,5 cm wide.

The species distribution is inland in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The habitat is rocky grassland on dry slopes at elevations from 540 m to 2100 m. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; https://www.worldfloraonline.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).