Zygophyllum flexuosum dense foliage

Zygophyllum flexuosum is commonly known in Afrikaans as either the spekbroodbossie (little bacon bread bush) or the maerbos (lean bush). The contradiction fits the lifestyle of a plant that can look its best where climatic challenges are often trying.

This is a shrublet of the southwestern coast of the Western Cape, also slightly inland, as far as places like Clanwilliam and Uniondale.

Compact, leafy stems over beach sand, this one was found flowering at the end of September (Manning, 2009; Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; iNaturalist).