Thonningia Vahl

Parasitic herb growing from horizontal, irregularly shaped tubers emitting cylindric branched rhizomes. Inflorescences of involucrate heads of flowers from buds on tuber, unbranched, pedunculate to sessile; peduncles densely covered with imbricate scales; receptacle of male inflorescences flat to slightly convex, of female inflorescences conical to hemispherical; perianth segments spirally arranged, unequal in length and extent of attachment to synandrium; perianth cylindric, irregularly 2–4-lobed; ovary inferior, 1-locular. Fruits 1-seeded achenes aggregated into a hemispherical infructescence.

Worldwide: 1 species in tropical Africa.

Zambia: 1 taxon.