Erect annual or perennial herbs 20-120 cm tall, somewhat woody at the base, branched. Stems striate, subglabrous to viscid glandular-hispid; pubescence of two kinds, either consisting of dense short stipitate glands only, or of short stipitate glands intermingled with longer and multicellular hairs. Leaves 3-7(-9)-foliolate, petiolate; petioles 2-6(-10) cm long, glandular-pubescent to puberulous; leaflets obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic, 1-2.5(-3.5) cm long, 6-12 mm broad, becoming progressively smaller towards the inflorescence and grading into the bracts, acute to rounded at the apex, cuneate at the base, subglabrous to glandular-hispid especially on the margins and the nerves below. Inflorescence a terminal raceme, elongating in fruit; bracts resembling the leaves, 3-5-foliolate, petiolate or subsessile towards the apex, subglabrous to glandular-pubescent; pedicels 1.5-3 cm long, glandular-puberulous. Sepals narrowly elliptic to ovate, 5-10 mm long, 2-5 mm broad, glandular-puberulous outside. Petals yellow, often fading reddish, broadly obovate to oblanceolate, 1.2-2.5 cm long, 0.4-1.5 cm broad, rounded at the apex, narrowed to a short claw at the base. Stamens 24-35, all fertile, unequal, with 5 or 6 longer and stouter than the rest, exceeding the petals; filaments yellow or yellow and lilac. Ovary about 2 mm long on a short gynophore; style 1 mm long; stigma subcapitate. Capsule linear, spreading to deflexed, rarely erect (var. namibensis), straight or slightly curved, 3.5-5(-8) cm long, 1.5-2 mm broad; valves dehiscing to the base, glandular-puberulous, thin-textured, longitudinal veins anastomosing; gynophore 0.8-1.5(-2.5) cm long, glabrous or sometimes glandular-puberulous; style 2-4 mm long. Seeds brown, circular in outline, 1 mm in diameter, surface finely reticulate-foveolate.
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Erect, annual or perennial herb, 0.2-1.2 m tall, with glandular-pubescent stems. Leaves digitately 3-7(-9)-foliolate, glandular-pubescent, with obovate to elliptic leaflets, 10-25(-35) x 6-12 mm. Flowers in a terminal raceme, petals upturned, narrowed to short claw at base, yellow, often fading reddish, fertile stamens 24-35. Fruit a linear capsule, 35-50(-80) x 1.5-2 mm. Flowering rain dependent.
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