Heliophila minima (Stephens) Marais

Annual or perennial herbs 5-60 cm high, erect, usually much branched; basal part of stem and young shoots puberulous or shortly hairy. Leaves 2-12 cm long, 0.5-1.5 mm broad, linear or linear-filiform, simple or 2-3-fid, often glaucous, puberulous or shortly hairy on the upper surface; each subtended by 2 minute, filiform, caducous stipules. Racemes lax, elongating in fruit. Pedicels glabrous or sparsely puberulous, in flower 0.8-1.2 cm long, erect; in fruit 1-2 cm long, spreading or recurved; with 2 minute bracts similar to the stipules. Sepals 3.8-5.5 mm long, 1.2-1.8 mm broad, narrowly oblong, semi-persistent; the outer 2 cucullate, sometimes thickened at the apex, with a membranous margin; inner 2 saccate, with a broad membranous margin. Petals 6-8.8 mm long, 1.2-4.5 mm broad, mostly narrowly elliptic but sometimes obovate, clawed, subacute or rounded, without or with a small appendage. Filaments 3.4-4.1 mm and 4-4.5 mm long; the short ones mostly with an appendage, sometimes without; the long ones papillate or smooth. Anthers 1.5-2.5 mm long. Ovary linear-oblong with a large, capitate stigma; ovules 20-42 (rarely more). Fruits 2.5-9 cm long, 2-4 mm broad, pendulous or spreading, linear, with straight margins; valves flat, 1-nerved; style 1-6.5 mm long (usually 3-4 mm), straight, the stigma wider than the style. Seeds 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter, subcircular, narrowly winged. Flowering seems to be entirely dependent on rain, but the main period is from August to September, with a second flush in April and May.