Acrodon

Species of Acrodon form dense, low mats or tufts of growth, and their leaves are triangular in cross-section.

Another distinctive feature is that the leaves and flowers have a few tiny teeth along the ends of their margins and keels.

The white or pink flowers often have striped petals. The fruits are solid and persistent, with five deep locules.[3]

Initially, Acrodon consisted of just one species - Acrodon bellidiflorus. A closer examination of Ruschia in 1986, however, found that several species shared traits with Acrodon bellidiflorus, resulting in them being moved to the genus Acrodon. Specifically, species in Acrodon had a more compact growth for while those in Ruschia formed shrubs, and Acrodon species had evenly spaced petals while Ruschia species had petals in five bundles. [4]

A later examination of Acrodon, specifically of the fruits, however, found that Acrodon likely consists of at least two distinct genera - Acrodon and Brianhuntleya. The species of Acrodon species have funnel-shaped capsule base while those of Brianhuntleya have flat capsule bases. These two fruit types require different positionings and orientations on and of the stalk holding them.[5]

The following species are recognised as of January 2023:[6]

• Acrodon bellidiflorus (L.) N.E.Br. A common Renosterveld species that extends from Hermanus to Oudtshoorn.[7]
• Acrodon caespitosus H.E.K.Hartmann (Synonyms: Acrodon duplessiae (Bolus) Glen)[8]
• Acrodon deminutus Klak. A rarer species restricted to quartz-fields in the Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld and Potberg Ferricrete Fynbos vegetation types.[9]
• Acrodon parvifolius R.du Plessis. An endangered species restricted to quartz and silcrete patches near to the coast, in the Botrivier area.[10]
• Acrodon subulatus (Mill.) N.E.Br. An endangered species restricted to shale Renostervelds in the far western Overberg.[11] (Synonymns: Acrodon leptophyllus (Bolus) Glen)[12]

The following were previously included in Acrodon but have been moved to other genera:

• Acrodon purpureostylus (L.Bolus) Burgoyne - now Brianhuntleya purpureostyla (L.Bolus) H.E.K.Hartmann[13]
• Acrodon quarcicola H.E.K.Hartmann - now Brianhuntleya quarcicola (H.E.K.Hartmann) H.E.K.Hartmann[14]

This species has historically been confused with Ruschia.[5] It is frequently confused with related genera that grow in the same region, such as Brianhuntleya or Cerochlamys.