Orbea variegata (L.) Haw.

Small succulent forming clump 50-200 mm (-1 m) diam., not rhizomatous. Stems 25-100 mm long, 5-10 mm thick (excluding teeth), (shortly) decumbent, green mottled with purple-brown; tubercles 3-9 mm long, arranged loosely into 4 obtuse rows along stem with groove between rows, tapering into spreading to ascending conical acute tooth often with minute denticle on either side near apex. Inflorescence 1 per stem near base, of 1-3 flowers developing successively from short peduncle (to ±10 mm long), with few small subulate bracts (<1.5 mm long); pedicel 20-60 mm long, 2-3 mm thick, horizontal usually with ascending apex holding flower facing upwards, pale green to pinkish streaked with red-purple; sepals 5-8 mm long, 2-3 mm broad at base, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate. Corolla 45-80 mm diam., ± rotate; outside smooth, pale cream-green becoming veined with red-purple towards tips of lobes; inside rugulose on annulus, transversely rugulose on lobes becoming nearly smooth towards tips as well as base of tube and behind rim of annulus, cream to greenish yellow variously spotted with purple-brown with fewer and finer dots on annulus; tube shallowly bowl-shaped, formed by annulus around gynostegium, annulus pentagonal to circular and 18-23 mm diam., shallowly bowl-shaped with spreading to recurved and thinner rim, with dense ring of short erect cylindrical bristles in base around gynostegium; lobes 16-25 mm long, 12-21 mm broad at base, ovate, acute to shortly acuminate, spreading to slightly recurved, margins eciliate. Corona ±8 mm tall, 12-15 mm broad, raised above base of tube on short cylindrical stipe <1 mm tall; outer lobes 4-6 mm long, 2 mm broad, ascending spreading, linear-oblong narrowing slightly towards 2-3-toothed apex, slightly thicker along centre than towards sides, cream dotted with purple-brown (larger purple-brown patch at base under guide-rail); inner lobes 3-4 mm long, adpressed to backs of anthers then rising up connivent-erect in centre and recurved towards tips, dorsiventrally flattened and ovate near base then narrowing to nearly terete and with clavate-tuberculate apex, with ascending slightly spreading laterally flattened dorsal horn up to 3-4 mm long below level of anthers also with clavate-tuberculate apex, cream dotted with purple-brown.

Grows in disturbedrocky ground or in open brigalow forest.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.