Dilatris

Dilatris is a genus of four species of evergreen perennial herbaceous plants of up to high, that are assigned to the bloodroot family. The plants have hairless, line- to lance-shaped leaves set in a fan that emerges from a red or orange coloured rootstock. Six free tepals with some gland dots near their tips are present on the mauve or dirty yellow flowers' six free petals. The other two stamens are longer and spreading with smaller scarlet anthers, while the one stamen is short, upright, and has a large, yellow anther. The style is diverted from the centre opposite both longer stamens. The species only occur in the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa.

== Description == The species of Dilatris are evergreen, perennial herbaceous plants with a short underground rootstock that is bright red or orange inside. From the rootstock emerge several hairless, line- to oblong lance-shaped leaves that are laterally flattened resulting in a right and left surface rather than an upper and lower surface. The inflorescence is a thyrse with branches forking and the flowers forming a simple or tiered rounded surface. The stem is softly hairy or, in D. viscosa, has gland-tipped hairs. The stem carries few leathery, softly or, in D. viscosa, glandularly hairy bracts that enclose the branches at their base. Flower buds are upright or, in D. viscosa, nodding, and the open flowers are upright. The not or lightly scented perianth is star-symmetrical, saucer- or cup-shaped, and consist of six free, long-lived tepals that become papery after flowering. The tepals have few to many gland dots towards their tip, and are softly or, in D. viscosa, glandularly hairy, mauve or, in D. viscosa, dirty yellow and stained orange on the reverse. The three stamens are inserted at the base of each of the inner tepals, unequal in size. The stamens consist of an awl- to thread-shaped filament and an anther. The filament closest to the branch tip is shorter and upright and carries a large yellow anther. The longer two filaments, facing away from the tip of the branch, are somewhat spreading and carry smaller reddish anthers. The egg-shaped ovary is set below the attachment of tepals and stamens, contains three cavities and carries three nectaries at the top of each cavity walls. There is one ovule in each cavity. The style is thread-shaped and curves either to the right or to the left, opposing the long anthers, and is topped by the point-shaped stigma. The ovary develops into a capsule that either contains three loose seeds, in D. viscosa, or the fruits breaks into three fragments each containing one seed. The seeds are shield-shaped. The pollen grains have one groove along their length (monosulcate).