B. bernieri

Small acaule plant, entirely glabrous, succulent, fragile, easily broken; underground apparatus in very short rhizome; fine roots. Thick petiole leaves, 6-8 cm long; membranous and very thin blade on the dry, 6-7-palmatinerve at the base oval-acute 3.5-4.5 x 3.5-5 cm, irregular, either whole and lobe, or bipartite, divided in two until petiole each free part bilobee; edges clearly dente; teeth gaping; very thin ribs barely marked on both sides. Stipules small, lanceolate, serrated at the base of the petioles. Solitary inflorescence, in corymbs pauciflores, bisexual, with 3-5 flowers white-pink; peduncle 8-10 cm long erect; pedicel thick, 6-7 mm long; oval-acuminate bractee, 2 X 2 mm deciduous. MALE flowers have 2 oval tepals, very thin, 7 X 6 mm. Stamens 7 to 12, with 0.5 mm threads united at the base in a short column of 0.5-0.8 mm; oblong antheres, 2 mm long with connective apicles overtaking the boxes. Flowers FEMALE has subequal, ovate, 4-5 x 2-3 mm tepals. Ovary of 6 X 2 mm triaile: wings surrounding clearly, the ovary at the base; styles 3, divided at the top; transverse stigmatized band and spiral at the tip. Capsule finely reticulate, 10 X 8-10 mm wide wing 6 mm wide, both small 2 mm approx. - Pl. 9 p. 35.
Pests Diseases

• Classification: Species
• Plant Type: Rhizomatous
• Botanical Section: Quadrilobaria
• Origin: Africa, Madagascar
• Originator: A.DC.
• Date of Origin: 1859