Lasiosiphon caffer

Lasiosiphon caffer, commonly the poison curryflower, in Afrikaans the gifbossie (little poison bush) and previously scientifically Gnidia caffra, is a shrublet growing tough, erect stems from a fleshy underground tuber. The multistemmed plant resprouts after fire and may reach 60 cm in height, although often not half that.

The narrowly lance-shaped leaves with acutely pointed tips are alternate, overlapping and ascending stalkless up the stems. The blue-grey blades are hairless, nearly so or silky below.

The stem-tip inflorescences consist of up to ten lemon yellow flowers. The long calyx tubes are hairy, ending in five spreading calyx lobes. Four small petals or petal scales spread around the mouth just above the sepals.

The species distribution is widespread from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal to all the provinces north of the Vaal River. The photo was taken near Hekpoort south of the Magaliesberg.

The habitat is grassland and rocky outcrops. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2009; Van Wyk and Malan, 1997; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).