Creeping Raphio

procumbens: with stems lying along the ground; procumbent

Perennial herb, growing from a sub-spherical tuber, up to 15 cm in diameter. Stems few-many, up to 40 cm long, procumbent, velvety, brownish. Leaves opposite, narrowly oblong-obovate, 3-6.5 cm long, leathery, dark green and velvety above, pale green and more densely velvety below; petiole 3-13 mm long, velvety. Flowers in many-flowered spherical heads in the upper leaf axils, densely velvety. Corolla lobes narrowly ovate-triangular, 4 × 2 mm, green to greenish-yellow, maroon or violet at the base, papillose on the inside. Corona reddish to purple, fleshy, papillose, 3-segmented; central segment c. 2 mm long; lateral segments 1 mm long. Fruit a single pendulous follicle, ovoid, 3.5- 4.5 cm long, pointed.

Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa.