Pavonia burchellii, an herbaceous shrub

This soft and hairy Pavonia burchellii plant was seen flowering at Mjejane in December. The leaf, stem and calyx hairs split into star-shaped tips, while some are glandular that may render the plant sticky to the touch.

Erect or spreading, the herbaceous shrublet flourishes in partial shade in dry regions. P. burchellii may be somewhat foul smelling. The plant is listed as growing in all provinces of South Africa except the Western Cape.

The Pavonia genus forms part of the Malvaceae family and bears flowers similar to those of Hibiscus, Gossypium, Cienfuegosia, Abutilon and more of that family’s genera.

Some of those plants are shown in this Site, easily accessed by typing a name in the Search Box (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; Germishuizen and Fabian, 1982; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).