Helichrysum rosum

Helichrysum rosum, in Afrikaans known as bergankerkaroo (mountain anchor Karoo), is a sprawling shrublet reaching heights around 50 cm. Ankerkaroo is also the common name of Pentzia incana, one of many karoobossies (little bushes of the Karoo), both valuable fodder plants.

The species distribution lies in the south of the Western Cape from Stellenbosch, Worcester and common in the Little Karoo to the Eastern Cape beyond Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in what used to be the Transkei, also northwards into the Free State. The species comprises two varieties, H. rosum var. rosum found in the Western and Eastern Cape and H. rosum var. arcuatum more in the Eastern Cape and the Free State.

The habitat is dry slopes in various veld types where the plants grow in clay soils. The habitat populations of both varieties are deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).