Huernia transvaalensis Stent

Small succulent forming clump 150 mm-1 m diam. Stems 20-120 mm long, 10-15 mm thick (excluding teeth), decumbent, grey-green occasionally marked with purple; tubercles 5-8 mm long, deltoid, spreading, laterally flattened and joined into 4-5 wing-like angles along stem, tapering to small acute teeth. Inflorescence of 1-5 flowers developing in gradual succession from short stout peduncle (up to 5 mm long) with slender lanceolate bracts 2-4 mm long; pedicel 20-25 mm long, 2 mm thick, spreading with ascending apex holding flower facing ± upwards; sepals 8-10 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm broad at base, ovate, attenuate. Corolla 45-55 mm diam., shallowly bowl-shaped to rotate; outside smooth, greenish cream mottled with red (not corresponding with inside colouring at all) with 1 heavy raised longitudinal vein running down centre of each lobe; inside transversely lined with red to maroon on cream to yellowish background on lobes and base of annulus becoming shiny red to maroon on annulus and in tube, with obtuse conical papillae in upper half of tube to particularly around mouth each bearing obtuse cylindrical bristle up to 4 mm long (minute slender sharp papillae on lobes); tube 5-7 mm long, 8-10 mm broad at mouth, cupular, cylindrical, mouth bounded by raised annulus (annulus consisting of slightly thickened tissue pushed forward above bases of lobes); lobes 12-15 mm long, ±20 mm broad at base, spreading, deltate, acuminate. Corona 4.5-5.0 mm tall, 6-7 mm broad, without basal stipe; outer lobes 1.5-2.0 mm long, shortly to deeply obtusely bilobed, cream with maroon margin, spreading on base of tube and fused to corolla for at least half of length; inner lobes ±3 mm long, yellow with maroon margins and apex, adpressed to backs of anthers near base then rising above them, becoming connivent and slightly divergent towards apex, tapering from transverse dorsal gibbosity to slender and smooth apex.