Berzelia abrotanoides

Berzelia abrotanoides, commonly known as redlegs, in Afrikaans as kolkol (patch-patch) and previously scientifically as Brunia abrotanoides, is a fine-leaved resprouter shrub growing erect branches to 1 m, sometimes 2 m from a woody base.

The branches are densely clad in ascending, spreading leaves. The leaves are ericoid, narrowly elliptic, keeled and sparsely hairy. Leaf dimensions are 1 mm wide and up to 5 mm long.

Spherical, creamy white flowerheads grow from winter to summer in corymbs on fleshy red peduncles. The fluffy appearance of the flowerheads in picture is caused by the protruding stamens, longer than the petals.

The species distribution is in the Western Cape from the Cederberg to Bredasdorp, the Little Karoo and eastwards, maybe as far as the west of the Eastern Cape.

The habitat is moist sandstone flats and slopes. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).