Prismatocarpus L'Hér.

Annual usually erect herb, up to 60 cm tall, often much-branched from the base. Stems sometimes hairy. Leaves narrowly elliptic to linear, sometimes hairy; margins wavy with small projecting teeth. Inflorescence usually well-demarcated, lax. Flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate. Calyx lobes narrowly triangular, sometimes revolute. Corolla 5–12 mm long, blue or white; lobes (4)5, united up to halfway. Fruit a capsule up to 2 cm long, cylindric, often slightly curved upwards, prominently nerved and with the persistent style–base forming a hard cone on the top. Seeds elliptic.

Derivation of name: prisma (Gr.) = a prism; karpos (Gr.) = fruit; referring to the greatly elonggated fruit shaped like prisms. (Clarke, Charters & Moll-Ed., 277, 2016).

Comment: The occurrence of this genus is only based on one very doubtful record See note under P. cordifolius.

Worldwide: c. 29 species in Southern Africa

Botswana: 1 taxon.