Muraltia heisteria flowers

Muraltia flowers may at first glance appear as if the plant should belong in the Fabaceae or pea family, but they are members of the Polygalaceae or milkworts. The purplish flowers with their white side-petals suggest that this is Muraltia heisteria, although the leaf form resembles M. vulpina to some extent.

The stems of M. heisteria are sparsely branched and finely hairy when young. The leaves are small and prickly, growing in fascicles. The shrubs are found on sandstone slopes in the fynbos (Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).