Duvalia modesta N.E.Br.

Dwarf succulent forming mat 40-150 mm diam. Stems 10-40 mm long, 7-15(-20) mm thick, decumbent, very short and compact, green to slightly purplish; tubercles 2-4 mm long, conical, fused near bases into 4(-5) broadly obtuse obscure rows along stem with groove between them, abruptly narrowing into narrowly deltoid leaf-rudiment 1.0-1.5 mm long usually subtended by 2 stipular glands. Inflorescence arising around middle of stem, of 1-3 flowers opening in gradual succession; pedicel 8-20 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm thick; sepals 2.5-4.0 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm broad at base. Corolla 15-25 mm diam.; outside pale green; inside dull greenish to shiny purplish brown or chocolate, usually becoming paler (and occasionally mottled) towards centre; annulus 1.0-1.5 mm tall, 4.5-8.0 mm broad, ± circular with sides sloping outwards to lobes or vertically sided, very occasionally mottled with cream, covered with fine papillae <0.5 mm long; lobes 6-9 mm long, 3-6 mm broad at base, tightly folded along midrib at least in upper half and sometimes right to base so deltate-to linear-acute, often with fine hairs 1.0-2.5 mm long near margins in lower two thirds (often absent entirely). Corona 3.5-5.5 mm diam., cream to greenish brown or dark purple; outer lobes forming disc spreading at or just inside mouth of tube; inner lobes 0.5-1.0 mm long, with ascending obtuse dorsal projection <1 mm long.