Berzelia abrotanoides

Berzelia abrotanoides or redlegs is a fine-leaved resprouter shrub growing erect branches to 1 m, sometimes 2 m from its 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 to the west of the Eastern Cape.

The habitat is moist sandstone flats and slopes. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).