Piaranthus comptus N.E.Br.

국표에 없다.

Origin and Habitat: Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape ( Great Karoo, Little Namaqualand) South Africa.
Habitat: Piaranthus disparilisSN|18032]]SN|18032]] is found under bushes together with Aloe microstigmaSN|639]]SN|639]], Haworthia variegataSN|16980]]SN|16980]], Cotyledon tigrina, Pectinaria saxitile and Anacampseros telephiastrumSN|1314]]SN|1314]].

Description: Piaranthus comptusSN|18024]]SN|30430]] is a distinct stapeliad characterized by low finger-like stems with five-pointed flowers of elaborate design and beauty, whitish freckled with dark purple-brown spots and white conical hairs. Flowers opens simultaneously or with long intervals in late Summer or Autumn and smell really strong sweat socks. It is very variable and sometime confounded with Piaranthus geminatusSN|30430]]SN|18024]].
Derivation of specific name: comptus,-a,-um; from L. comptus (from comptere, to adorn), ornamented: elegant.
Stems: tufted, globose to cylindrical, slightly rough, erect or decumbent, 1-5 (or under cultivation up to 7 or more) cm long, 8-14 mm thick, obtusely 4-angled, with the teeth along the angles tubercle-like, apiculate, sometimes rather obscure, dull green or greyish-green, subglaucous.
Flowers: 1–4 (often 2) together, between the angles, near or at the apex or sometimes near the middle of the stem, erect. Pedicels 4-12(-15) mm long, 1 - 2 mm in diameter, glabrous. Sepals 1.5-3 mm long, 1 mm wide, ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous. Corolla rotate, radiate,14-24 mm diameter (usually c. 17 mm), glabrous and dull greenish or greenish-brown outside, shortly pubescent all over the inner face, not ciliate, whitish, marked all over with small round dark purple-brown spots; disk flattish. Lobes 5-7 mm long, (3.5-)4(-5) mm broad at the base, delicate, sometimes basally slightly fused, ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, slightly convex from the margins being slightly recurved, whitish with red or red-brown dots, patches or tranverse bands, usually densely hairy. Hairs slightly conical, 0.4 - 1 mm, whitish to brownish purple, basal 1/4 of the corolla margins often with clavate hairs (var. ciliatus). Corona 2.6-3.2 x 3.5-4.8 mm. Outer corona-lobes closely incumbent on the backs of the anthers and not prolonged beyond them, 1-2 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, linear or linear-lanceolate, acute, obtuse or subdenticulate at the apex, dorsally expanded at the base into a truncate minutely tuberculate or more or less bifid unfurrowed crest, 0.8 - 1.5 mm broad with or without a small warted tubercle between the teeth at the top, entirely yellow or dotted with purple-brown. Odour somewhat sour of horse sweat mixed with rotten fruits only perceptible close to the flower.
Pollinia: 0.5 x 0.3 - 0.35 mm.
Fruits (paired follicles): 6 - 11 cm long.
Seeds: 3.5 - 5.5 mm long, 2 - 3 mm thick.

 

Piaranthus comptus (llifle.com)

https://youtu.be/0ckjJIkzYLk?t=459