Nemesia strumosa

Nemesia strumosa, commonly in Afrikaans balsa mienie, a name that defies translation and rooileeubekkie (red snapdragon or little red lions maw), is an annual that sometimes branches from the base and reaches heights around 40 cm.

The limited species distribution is in the far west of the Western Cape, from Piketberg to Malmesbury and to the coast in that region. The photo was taken at Tietiesbaai.

The habitat is sandy flats, particularly in the Sandveld region. The species is considered to be near threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century, due to coastal development, farming and invasion by alien vegetation. This is ironic because the plant’s wide range of flower colours has ensured a future for it in horticulture in many parts of the world.

Plants can be extinct in the wild or their natural state while thriving in cultivation or captivity… a bit like people (Manning, 2007; Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).