The genus Hammeria contains two species, Hammeria salteri and Hammeria gracilis.  The genus got its name in honour of Steven Hammer, an avid student of the mesembs family.

Plants are dwarf creeping shrublets that can be up to 50 mm in height.   Long shoots are produced from the main stem, these shoots root at the widely spaced nodes.  Basal leaves (between 10-20mm in length), leaf pair fused, leaves half-moon shaped in cross section, leaves are greyish-green in colour with translucent dots, leaf surfaces have a flaking waxy covering, margins are toothed near the tips.

Flowers (20mm in diameter) are borne on upright pedicels (30mm in length), dark pink or pale pink with white centres, flowers subtended by bracts resembling the leaves, five sepals are presesnt (tips may be toothed), petals occur in two or three whorls, stamens form a cone, short staminodes present, five stigmas which are

longer than the stamens are surrounded by nectar glands.  Seed pods are five locular, covering membranes present, no closing bodies, seeds brown in colour and smooth.

Plants are found in the Tanqua Karoo and parts of the Little Karoo in the Western Cape and Northern Cape.  Plants prefer full sunlight and grow in dark shale and quartzite areas, Plant distribution occurrs in a winter rainfall area of less than 400mm per annum.