One of the compact Cephalophyllums, with blue-green to bright green leaves up to 13 cm long.
The flowers have yellow petals and purple-red to brown stamens; they appear from June to September.
The fruits have 10-20 compartments; the old ones often lie in a ring around the plant.
Occurring on loamy soil on flats in western Namaqualand.
Like many other Cephalophyllums, this is often a pioneer in disturbed places, such as roadsides. Together with the spectacular flowering, this makes it a very suitable garden plant and it is therefore commonly cultivated.
