Monsonia patersonii

Monsonia patersonii, locally known as t’koena thorn (the name persisting from an earlier native language, maybe the San people), is a branched, succulent shrublet reaching heights around 50 cm.

The long- or short-stalked, rounded leaves have entire margins with broad, notched tips. Leaf colour is grey-green to blue-green. The leaves are hairless. Their lateral margins fold in along the centre while the leaf curves down along its length to the tip. The blades are up to 2 cm long.

The species is distributed in the coastal region of the far Northern Cape from Port Nolloth to around the lower Gariep and widely in Namibia to around Lüderitz.

The habitat is arid, sandy and rocky plains, also near hills. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Williamson, 2010; Manning, 2009; Le Roux, et al, 2005; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).