Chaenostoma hispidum

Chaenostoma hispidum is an erect or sprawling shrublet reaching heights from 20 cm to 50 cm. It was previously known as Sutera hispida as well as a long list of other scientific names over time, reflecting the plant’s taxonomical peregrinations caused by knowledge growth regarding its true nature.

The plant is flattered by one of its common names, honey flower, ridiculed by another, creeping skunk bush. There is also a bristly skunk bush version of the name, preference reflecting the speakers recollection of skunk behaviour or attributes.

The plant is aromatic. Whether the skunk slinked into the human conception of C. hispidum on a smelly ticket appears likely. The Afrikaans name, stinkbossie (little stink bush), tends to confirm or at least add credence to the possibility.

Most plant parts are hairy, the hairs rough and gland-tipped. The specific name, hispidum is Latin for hairy or bristly, hence the bristly skunk bush name. Hispid means covered in coarse, rigid, erect hairs or bristles, harsh to the touch.

The generic name, Chaenostoma, is derived from the Greek words chaeno meaning gaping and stoma meaning mouth, referring to the funnel-shape of the upper part of the flower tube.

The species is distributed coastally in the far southwest of the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula to the Agulhas National Park.

Its habitat is rocky sandstone and limestone slopes, outcrops and flats. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Privett and Lutzeyer, 2010; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Andrew, 2017; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).