Eriocephalus ericoides subsp. ericoides, a survivor

Thin, straight branches with short leaf coverings characterise the Eriocephalus ericoides subsp. ericoides shrublet in picture. Tiny branchlets from the spaced leaf clusters that may develop or not, say more about which Eriocephalus this is, as the woolly fruits are quite similar among many members of the genus.

Dead branches next to new growth pay testament to the resilience of many karoobossies found in much of the arid inland of southern and central South Africa. There are numerous kinds of these hardy, often aromatic shrublets, small-leaved and often hard to identify. This is particularly so when they are in rest, which they are annually forced to do for extended periods by the climate that reigns here.