Lessertia frutescens white stems

These Lessertia frutescens flowers photographed in August north of Villiersdorp show good bright red colour. The red calyx reaching about one third up the flower tube is dark, sometimes hairy as on the plant in picture. Flower stalks are similar to the calyx in colour and hairiness. Flowers grow in short racemes from leaf axils.

The blue-green leaflets are oblong to elliptic, tapering at both ends with upturned white margins. The leaf rachis on which the leaflets are well-spaced and positioned opposite each other, is white and velvety with tiny white hairs (Manning, 2009).