Trachyandra spiralling leaves

This rosette of coiled or spiralled Trachyandra leaves were seen in the Biedouw Valley on a plant flowering in September. The flowers are shown in the entry describing the genus.

The leaves are long and strap-shaped with ciliate margins. Trachyandra leaves range from flat-bladed or channelled to terete, some succulent or spongy, others leathery, while those of several species are hairy. Those of Trachyandra tortilis are variably contorted or continuously S-bent.

A dry, triangular bract, flowerless or sterile, is seen up the stem. Each flower pedicel is also subtended by a bract (Manning, 2007; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000).