Conophytum, N. E. Br., N. E. Br.

Powell, Robyn F., Boatwright, James S., Klak, Cornelia & Magee, Anthony R., 2017, Inclusion of Ihlenfeldtia and Odontophorus in Cheiridopsis (Ruschioideae: Aizoaceae) and insights into generic and subgeneric circumscription in the Conophytum clade, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 184 (4), pp. 457-484 : 474

KEY TO THE GENERA OF THE CONOPHYTUM CLADE

1. Old leaves do not form a sheath that encloses the emerging leaf pair during dormancy........................2

1 ′. Old leaves form sheaths that encloses the emerging leaf pair during dormancy.........................................6

2. Capsules five-locular, without covering membranes....................................................................................3

2 ′. Capsules multilocular (more than seven locules), with covering membranes........................................4

3. Flowers green, never opening fully as restricted by adjacent leaf pair; leaves sickle-shaped; pollen unknown; caespitose, with leaves held upright......... ............................................................ Ruschianthus

3 ′. Flowers white to pink, opening fully; leaves shortly clavate to almost globose; pollen syncolpate; shrub, with leaves hanging down cliffs like bunches of grapes............................................... Jensenobotrya

4. Leaves not fused at the base, trigonous to clubshaped; flowers without filamentous staminodes..... ............................................................... Enarganthe

4 ′. Leaves fused at least 1 / 3 of their length at the base, leaves finger-shaped, triquetrous to trigonous; flowers with or without filamentous staminodes.............5

5. Capsules without closing bodies; finger-shaped leaves which almost form a U-shape......................... ........................................................ Namaquanthus

5 ′. Capsules with closing bodies; leaves triquetrous to trigonous.................................... Schlechteranthus

6. Petaloid staminodes fused forming a tube; capsules soft and papery, three to eight-locular, without covering membranes and closing bodies......................... .............................................................. Conophytum

6. Petaloid staminodes free, not forming a tube; capsules hard and woody, 8- to 18-locular, with covering membranes and closing bodies............ Cheiridopsis