Lobelia chamaepitys

Lobelia chamaepitys, the fine-stalked lobelia, is a basally branched or tufted shrublet, up to 30 cm tall when in flower.

The leaves are narrow and long (about 2 cm) with toothed margins. The specific name, chamaepitys, is derived from the Greek words chamae meaning on the ground or creeping and pitys meaning pine tree, referring to the narrow leaves.

The plant is found in the southwestern parts of the Western Cape, from the Stellenbosch to Swellendam. The photo was taken in Fernkloof during March.

The habitat is fynbos mountain slopes. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Bean and Johns, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Andrew, 2017; http://redlist.sanbi.org).