Helichrysum zeyheri

Helichrysum zeyheri, in Afrikaans the vaalbergkaroo (grey mountain Karoo), is a single-stemmed, much-branched shrublet growing thin and slender stems to heights around 60 cm. It may be dense low down, but the stems are often sparse and wand-like higher up. This plant does not resprout after fire, regrows from seed.

The species distribution is widespread in South Africa, from the Western Cape including the Little Karoo, parts of Namaqualand in the Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape, North West, the Free State and Limpopo, as well as further to the north in neighbouring countries like Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana.

The plant is found in several habitats, may be prolific in deep loam or sandy soil in flats and lowlands of arid scrub. It is well browsed. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; http://keys.lucidcentral.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).