Erica afrorum var. afrorum

Erica afrorum var. afrorum, commonly known as the mountain tree erica and previously scientifically as E. caffrorum var. caffrorum, is an erect shrub growing pale grey stems that become woody, reaching heights from 75 cm to 1 m. The needle-like, dark green leaves are straight and longish, ascending around the stems.

The species distribution is in the north of the Eastern Cape, the west of KwaZulu-Natal, the east of the Free State and the southwest of Mpumalanga, as well as in Lesotho. The photo was taken in the Mkhomazi Wilderness Area in January.

The habitat is montane grassland, particularly the Drakensberg and Maluti Mountains that receive summer rain and winter cold (Trauseld, 1969; iNaturalist; JSTOR; http://redlist.sanbi.org).