Erica brachialis

Erica brachialis, commonly known as the monkey-puzzle heath, is a sturdy, erect shrub that grows to 2 m in height. It grows a main stem up to 3 cm in diameter and branches that spread widely. 

The plant produces terminal clusters of pale green, bright yellow or pinkish red, tubular flowers in autumn. Small, leaf-like sepals are found at the base of the flower. The corolla tube ends in four shallow lobes, appearing greenish when they open or in the bud stage. The anthers and style are only exserted from old flowers.

The species distribution is small in the Western Cape on both sides of False Bay, on the Peninsula as well as from Rooiels to Hangklip.

The habitat is sandstone and granite derived lower fynbos slopes, particularly rocky coastal outcrops, strandveld, often near the ocean spray zone. The habitat population is deemed vulnerable, due to medicinal use of the plant in a tea remedy for kidney stones and invasion of its land by exotic alien vegetation (Manning and Helme, 2024; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist; www.bcx.org; www.heaths and heathers.com; www.theheatherfarm.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).