Phylica lachneaeoides

Phylica lachneaeoides, sometimes commonly called the pinkstar hardleaf, is a single-stemmed shrub reaching heights to about 1 m.

The species resembles P. gnidioides that bears longer leaves and grows geographically to the east of it, from Humansdorp to Makhanda (Grahamstown).

The distribution of P. lachneaeoides is in the southeast of the Western Cape from George and Uniondale to the southwest of the Eastern Cape as far east as Humansdorp. The photo was taken in the Kouga Valley northeast of Joubertina.

The habitat is sandstone derived fynbos and renosterveld slopes where the soil is often loamy. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).