Heliophila amplexicaulis

Heliophila amplexicaulis, commonly white sporrie or in Afrikaans breëbaarflaks (broad leaf flax), is an erect, wiry-stemmed annual reaching heights from 15 cm to 45 cm.

The distribution of this South African endemic is in the west of the Northern and Western Cape, in Namaqualand from north of Steinkopf to the western Karoo as far south as Saldanha and Montagu. The photo was taken in the Biedouw Valley.

The habitat is rocky and sandy slopes and flats. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Le Roux, et al, 2005; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).