Linzia glabra

Linzia glabra, commonly the wild heliotrope or cornflower vernonia and previously Vernonia glabra, is a robust perennial growing erect, stiff branches from a woody rootstock to heights around 1,2 m.

The heliotrope common name for this Asteraceae plant is interesting as heliotrope (drawn towards the sun) is a plant name usually associated with a genus of the Boraginaceae family bearing blue-purple, fragrant, forget-me-not flowers.

The species distribution of L. glabra in South Africa occurs only in the north of KwaZulu-Natal and the east of Mpumalanga. The plant grows more widespread in tropical southeast Africa, as far as Kenya.

The habitat is scrubveld, high rainfall woodland, forest, riverine bush and floodplains; often seen as a pioneer on disturbed ground. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).