Heliophila juncea leading spring veld festivities

A stand of Heliophila juncea shrubs in the Kagga Kamma veld grabs centre stage when in full bloom. Tall enough to make a strong statement, the small flowers have to arrive in great profusion to achieve maximal impact. They can surely do this in a good year.

From a distance, this display resembles the pink and purple mesemb flowering common in the Karoo after rain (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Manning, 2007; iSpot).