Mesembryanthemum tortuosum on the dry side

Mesembryanthemum tortuosum petals may be very thin, less substantial than seen on some plants, the flower centre yellowish from plant parts other than the petals. The flowers grow at the stem-tips that face up. It is sometimes hard to distinguish between leaves and sepals.

The leaf veins are fibrous, retained in dead leaves that persist around the buds like small skeletons. That feature is reflected in the earlier generic name, Sceletium.

This thirsty plant was seen in the Ceres Karoo during September (Smith, et al, 1998).