Jamesbrittenia aurantiaca

Jamesbrittenia aurantiaca, commonly known as Cape saffron and in Afrikaans as saffraanbossie (little saffron bush), is an aromatic perennial growing from a woody rootstock to heights from 6 cm to 30 cm. Several Jamesbrittenia species carry the common name of saffraanbossie. 

The plant produces a few erect branches, sparsely covered in opposite leaves that are hairy and deeply divided into narrow lobes along straight midribs.

The species is widely distributed across South Africa, reported in all provinces apart from Limpopo and the Western Cape. It is also found in Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana.

The habitat is mainly summer rainfall grassland, typically growing in low-lying, moist places. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

The reference to saffron originates from the use people make of some Jamesbrittenia species, particularly J. atropurpurea, a saffron substitute in dyeing and in traditional medicines (Pooley, 1998; Van Wyk and Malan, 1997; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).