Lobostemon marlothii

Lobostemon marlothii is a single-stemmed, widely branched shrub that reaches heights around 1 m. The lower, woody stems lose their leaves, the bark pale grey.

The alternate, stalkless leaves are oblong, ending in acutely pointed tips. The creamy midribs are prominent on the lower surfaces, the coarsely hairy blades curving in near their tips. The leaf margins are entire. Leaf dimensions are 25 mm long and 5 mm wide.

The species distribution is in the east of the Western Cape from the Little Karoo to the west of the Eastern Cape around Willowmore and the Langkloof. The photo was taken at Minwater near Oudtshoorn.

The habitat is dry, stony fynbos and renosterveld slopes, often south-facing, the soil sandy or loamy. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Moriarty, 1997; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).