Searsia magalismontana subsp. magalismontana

Searsia magalismontana subsp. magalismontana, in Afrikaans the bergtaaibos (mountain sticky bush), is an evergreen (ever-grey?) shrublet reaching heights around 50 cm and may spread wider. Shrublets grow from woody rootstocks wedged in crevices among rocks. The plants are typically multi-stemmed, the young stems reddish, the old ones brown.

The bergtaaibos is dioecious, male and female flowers growing on different plants, as is usual for the genus.

The distribution is widespread in South Africa north of the Vaal River, as well as in some countries to the north. The habitat is grassland and bushveld on rocky outcrops, stony hillsides and ridges at elevations from 1000 m to 2000 m.

The subspecies is not considered threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (The Tree Society of Southern Africa, 1974; www.plantzafrica.com; www.redlist.sanbi.org).