Trachyandra muricata

Trachyandra muricata is a perennial growing annual above-ground parts from thickened roots to heights between 50 cm and 90 cm depending on resources available in the particular region. The leaves may be wavy, even channelled but not consistently.

The species is distributed along the west coast and inland parts of the Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula as far east as Caledon and northwards in the Northern Cape through Namaqualand, as well as Namibia. The photo was taken on the Piketberg Mountain.

The habitat is stony slopes in clay or sandy soils among fynbos, scrub or renosterveld. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).