Monsonia glauca

Monsonia glauca is a perennial herb with erect branches from a woody base. The upper leaves are opposite, narrow, lanceolate, channelled and toothed. The sepals are narrowly oblong to lanceolate. The five spreading petals are white or cream coloured. They are broad with flat tips and have longitudinal undulations or creases. The bunch of 15 stamens with pale yellow anthers at the tips can be seen in the flower centres here.

The habitat is grassland and bushveld in the summer rainfall interior of South Africa. The distribution is large, extending beyond Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe well into tropical Africa, including Kenya.

An Afrikaans common name of naaldebossie (needle bush) is recorded, probably referring to the sharp, thin spines on the branches among the leaves. The name dysentery herb also occurs, although medicinal use of the plant could not be established. It is presumed that the plant would not be a cause of dysentery (Manning, 2009; Blundell, 1987; www.kyffhauser.co.za).