This bizarre pachycaul genus was described and well-figured by Valeton (1911) from a single collection and for many years known under the illegitimate name Chaetostachys. A second specimen was later annotated by Valeton as belonging to the same species. Re-examination of this material has shown that the two collections cannot be considered to be conspecific. It was also found that the second collection and later conspecific collections have 5-merous flowers.