Perennial, stemless or nearly so. Rootstock thick and firmly 

 fleshy, deeply rooting, sometimes Vvith short branches at the top 

 without internodes. Leaves opposite, united at the base, in roeettes, 

 sr-athulate-ovate or spa thulate-lanceolate, dottless, velvety-puber- 

 uicus, Flov/ers solitary, pedicellate, bracteete at the base of 

 the riedicel. Cal;'r!c subeaually 5-lobed dovm to its union v/ith the 

 ovary. Corolla expanding in the evening; petals numerous, free, 

 in 7 or 4 series. Stamens numerous, erect, in a^^loose cylindrical 

 mass. Glands connected into a crenulate ring, ^tigmas 10-13, 

 erect, subulate. Ovrry inferior, flattish, or slightly convex on 

 the top, placentas on the floor or outer wall of the cells. Cap- 

 sule in:^erior, shortly obconic, flattish at the top, with raised 

 sutures and with 10-^3 valves and cells; valves narrowly deltoid, 

 with a very prominent, acute keel on the inner face; expanding-keels 

 diverging from the base, about half as long as the valve, each 

 tiT>ped with a pallid awn reaching nearly to the tips of the valves, 



Seeds Peer-shaped, smooth, 



A monotycic genus, native of South -Africa. 



The name is derived from the Greek, d~ile, evening, and anthe, 

 a flo'-er, in allusion to flowers commencing to open in the evening. 



This genus is recognisable at sight by its stemless habit 

 and flattened, velvety-puberulous, viiitish-green leaves, which 

 spread rather v/idely. 



1. D. Feersii, N. E. Br. (Figs. 127 and 128),-- Hootstocl$: 

 usually more or less divided, yet scarcely forming branches under 

 nature! conditions, but under cultivation forming short branches 

 without distinct internodes. Leaves on native-grown plants usually 

 in 1 or 2 pairs to a grovrth but under cultivation forming 2-4 

 ripirs to a' growth, spreading, 9-18 lines long, 5-8 lines broad a- 

 bove the middle and 2-|— 3i lines thick, spathulete-lsnceolate or 

 snathulate-obate, obtusely pointed, not apiculate, flat on the face, 

 convex, and with a blunt keel on the back, mnnutely velvety-puber- 

 ulous, without dots, somewhat whitish-green, or with a bluish tint, 

 not shining, ^lowers solitary. Pedicels 6-10 lines long, v;ith 

 a pair of bracts about 3 lines long at the base, velvety-puberulous. 

 Calyx velvety-puberulous; lobes 2-5 lines long, 2-3| lines broad, 

 deltoid-ovate,' acute or obtuse. Corolla 12-18 lines in di&meter, 

 exp<^nding about 5 p.m. and remaining open during most of the night, 

 slightly fragrant; r;etals about 40, in 3 or 4 series, 4-6 lines 

 long, i-i line broad, linear, obtuse or bluntly pointed, sometimes 

 minutely end irregularly toothed at the apex, clear yellow on both 

 sides, or, according to Mrs. Bolus, dull reddish-yellow, paler 

 at the base. Stamens about 4 lines long, with orange-yellow f' la- 

 ments, beprded at the base, and v/ith cream'-coloured anthers. Stig- 

 mas about 1^ line long, subulate, erect, green. Capsule as des- 

 cribed under the genus, 6-8 lines in diameter when closed, ochreous 

 within, with brovm exioanding-keels. Seeds ^ line long, smooth, 

 pale brown, wit"- a dark brovm Doint. 



Nanant^nis Peersii, L. BqI'. , in Ann. ^ol. Hgrb., IV, 104. 

 Aloinopsis Peersii, L. Bol., in S. Afr. Gerd., 1929, 245 and 288, 

 with fig. I-esembranthemum canum, Berger, in l^otizblatt Bot. Gart. 

 Berl., r/, 248, and I^'es., und Port., 299; ^^'^arloth in Deutsch Tiefsee 

 Sxped, II, t. 3, 337, not of Haworth, 



