Struthiola myrsinites

Struthiola myrsinites is a lax, willowy shrub with wand-like, four-angled stems that sometimes droop. It grows to 2 m and is found widespread on sandstone slopes in a more or less coastal belt from Namaqualand to the Eastern Cape, often near watercourses.

The flowers are aromatic at night, attractive to moths who comply by serving as pollinators. The remarkable nocturnal fragrance brought the plant and some of its Struthiola cousins, the Afrikaans name of juffertjie-roer-by-die-nag (little-lady-gad-about-at-night).

The specific epithet of myrsinites serves to remind of the similarity to myrtle or Myrsine leaves (Bean and Johns, 2005; Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).