1. Cheiridopsis N.E.Br., Gard. Chron 3: 412 (1925), emend. nov. R.F.Powell.

Type: C. rostrata.

Ihlenfeldtia H.E.K.Hartmann, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 114 (1992), syn. nov. Type: I. excavata (L.Bolus) H.E.K.Hartmann = Cheiridopsis excavata L.Bolus.

Odontophorus N.E.Br., Gard. Chron 3: 12 (1927), syn. nov. Type: O. marlothii N.E.Br. = Cheiridopsis marlothii (N.E.Br.) R.F.Powell.

Succulent, perennial shrubs, compact to caespitose or rarely mat-forming, 50–300 mm in height. Leaves isophyllous, with subsequent leaf pairs equal along stem or heterophyllous, with subsequent leaf pairs unequal along stem; triquetrous to trigonous, sometimes rhombic, 4–150 mm long; leaf surface sometimes rough, formed by elevations above subhypodermal idioblasts or velvety; mucronate, sometimes with dentate margins or keels, epidermis papillate, with epidermal cells forming blunt papillae or trichomes; old leaves forming sheaths which usually only partially enclose the emerging leaf pair (fully enclose the emerging leaf pair in only a few species, i.e. C. meyeri, C. minor, C. namaquensis, C. peculiaris). Flowers solitary; pedicels 30–90 mm; radiate, 30–70 mm in diameter; petaloid staminodes free, cream to yellow, rarely orange, red or magenta, sometimes magenta-suffused. Capsules woody, pedicels decumbent or erect, top flat to centrally elevated or rounded, base funnel-shaped to semi-globose; 8–18 locules; covering membranes undulate in radial direction, often with elevations in subcentral position, sometimes as prominent bulges, humps or tubes, rarely flat; closing bodies usually large, blocking at least ¾ of locule, seldom smaller, blocking at least ½ of locule; valve wings broad, equal in width to valve, or narrow, 1 / 3 width of valve, sometimes reduced to awns. Seeds flat to round, light to darker brown, smooth to papillate.

Species previously recognized in other genera or subgenera are indicated in bold.

? = missing data/unknown.

Diagnostic characters and distribution: Cheiridopsis now includes 38 species classified into three subgenera, Cheiridopsis, Aequifoliae and Odontophoroides. The genus is characterized by the old leaves that form sheaths enclosing the emerging leaf pair partially, but sometimes fully (Fig. 8 C, E) and the large multilocular woody capsules, with 8–18 locules (Fig. 7 C, D). Cheiridopsis spp. are also compact to caespitose, rarely mat-forming.

The diversity of the genus is centred in the Springbok-Steinkopf Region (Fig. 6 A) and the distribution follows the winter-rainfall region of southern Africa, with few outliers outside of the winter-rainfall region. The distribution extends from southern Namibia, southwards to Langebaan and eastwards to Pofadder (Fig. 6 A).

1. Pedicel decumbent, leaves heterophyllous.............................. 3.1. Cheiridopsis subgenus Cheiridopsis

1. Pedicel erect; leaves isophyllous...............................2

2. Capsule top rounded...................................................... 3.2. Cheiridopsis subgenus Odontophoroides

2. Capsule top flat to centrally elevated....................................... 3.3. Cheiridopsis subgenus Aequifoliae