Holothrix secunda growing under a bush

This Holothrix secunda plant lives in partial shade of tall scrub on a steep hill in the Biedouw Valley. Its specific name, secunda, is earned by the way its flowers face (somewhat) to one side of the stem, a feature not quite obvious on the plant in picture.

The stem is maroon to purplish red low down, shading into pale yellow green with a reddish afterthought near the tip. Thin and tall, it is laxly but many-flowered, way above the firm footing of two opposing leaves at ground level.

The plants delicate shape is aided by the closeness of woody shrub branches that lessen the effects of wind and occasional animal and people traffic through the bush (Liltved and Johnson, 2012; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iNaturalist).