Calandrinia butcherensis (Calandrinia butcherensis)

Description

Annual herbs;semi-erect to erect,100–400 mm tall,50–380 mm wide,glabrous,the root system comprising a weak to moderately-sized taproot with several laterals.Basal leaves fleshy,narrowly linear to narrowly obovate,occasionally broader,5.2–52.3 mm long,1.1–5.1 mm wide,most with a shallow medial groove on adaxial surface,green to reddish grey-brown.Stems usually 1–10,18–145 mm long, radiating from base.Stem leaves fleshy,narrowly linear to narrowly obovate,occasionally broader, 3.3–25 mm long,0.7–3.8 mm wide,alternate,occasionally sub-opposite or as leaf clusters at stem ends.Scapes 40–105 mm long,often with a few or more residual leaves and/or bracts scattered along the scape,occasionally once-branched.Inflorescence axis 45–260 mm long,bare except for 3 or more ± scarious bracts,mostly opposite particularly on the upper axis,generally forming a loose cyme. Inflorescence axis bracts appressed to ± spreading,triangular,2.3–6.3 mm long,1.2–3.9 mm wide,with a long-acuminate apex.Pedicels 5–21 mm long,to 30 mm long in fruit,moderately to strongly reflexed. Flowers 25–30 mm diam.Sepals thick,ovate to broadly ovate,3.7–6.8 mm long,1.2–5.9 mm wide, free to base,mucronate,with a strong midvein and several other prominent veins and some reticulation. Petals 5,mid- to dark pink,obovate to broadly obovate with a shallowly depressed apex,8.5–17.2 mm long,6.9–12.2 mm wide,free to base.Stamens 33–77 in 2 or 3 ill-defined rows with longer inner and shorter outer series;filaments free,1.2–4.0 mm long,attached to the top of basal ring beneath ovary, papillose on lower basal adaxial portion;anthers oblong to broadly oblong in outline,0.5–1 mm long, 0.5–0.7 mm wide,versatile,extrorse,dehiscing longitudinally.Ovary obovoid,1.0–1.9 mm diam., brown.Stigmata 3,squat-triangular,lengthening,spreading somewhat,linear to narrowly triangular at maturity,0.7–2.4 mm long,free to base,with a dense covering of long stigma trichomes.Capsule ovoid to broadly ovoid,3.7–6.4 mm long,2.3–3.6 mm wide,the apex obtuse;usually level with the sepals occasionally slightly shorter or longer;valves 3,splitting from apex to base with age.Seeds 48–123,brown-tan,dull,sometimes semi-glossy,sub-reniform to reniform,0.5–0.65 mm long,