Blepharis capensis and comrades colonising a slab of rock

Blepharis capensis bearing almost white flowers is one of three species of the Blepharis genus found in the Little Karoo. It is a perennial shrub amply armed with daunting spines, reminding of Berkheya plants.

But Berkheya is in the Asteraceae family with actinomorphic, radially symmetric flowerheads; Berkheya grows spikes of zygomorphic or laterally symmetric flowers (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010).