This species is typical for the Little Karoo and has some peculiar characteristics: the leaves are fused at their base, forming a long sheath, so that the plant looks like a stem succulent, and the flowers do not close again once they are open.
At first sight, the plants resemble certain Ruschia’s and they have flowers like Erepsia, but still they are usually easy to recognise. Actually, the plants are so different from others that the genus is monotypic. In other words: there is only one species of Smicrostigma.
The plants are up to 60 cm tall with more or less erect branches becoming woody with age. They have leaves with a sheath up to 2.5 cm long and shorter free parts with a recurved tip.
The solitary flowers are to 3 cm in diameter and have a very short stalk. They are said to flower from spring to summer, but in my area they can be found in flower the whole year round.
The anthers and stigma are completely hidden by a group of light pink to usually purple petals and the seed capsules have 7-10 compartments.
Although the species is largely endemic to the Little Karoo, it is found from Uniondale westwards to Worcester, mainly in dry shrubby vegetation on sandy to loamy soils.
