Wahlenbergia cuspidata flower

The slender, erect and loosely branched stems of Wahlenbergia cuspidata present their flowers well above the foliage, tall enough generally to be visible in the grass of the upper Drakensberg slopes.

The pale blue flowers are bowl-shaped, facing up. The slender sepals taper to acutely pointed tips, the margins toothed. The corollas are up to 3 cm in diameter. The stamens are attached to the petal bases.

Cuspidate means having sharp points, referring to the petal tips. Cuspis is a Latin word meaning point, spear or sting. The appellation might fit the sepals even better.

The fruit is a dehiscent capsule with covering valve for every locule (Manning 2009; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist).