Adenandra villosa

Adenandra villosa is a variable, aromatic shrub that branches much, reaching heights from 20 cm to 1 m. 

The five petals of the flower in picture are broadly spatulate or spoon-shaped, loosely spreading without being able to form a tube around the inner flower parts at the base, being so narrow low down. Some shiny red tips of broad and pointed sepals are visible among the petals, succeeding better than the petals in providing protection to ovary, et al. The petal surfaces appear delicately membranous, white with a pinkish sheen unevenly sustained, but pronounced in the central depression down each petal into the base. Hairy stamens and staminodes tipped with red glands surround the short style upon the green ovary.

The species distribution is in the southwest of the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula to Clanwilliam, Tulbagh, Worcester and Caledon. Nine subspecies are recognised, all found in this region.

The habitat is fynbos on sandstone mountain slopes. The habitat populations of the subspecies range from least concern, rare, vulnerable and near threatened to endangered early in the twenty first century, mostly due to invasive alien vegetation (Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).