Penaea mucronata

Penaea mucronata, sometimes commonly called noughts-and-crosses, is a rounded shrub that reaches heights around 1,3 m. The woody base resprouts after fire. Young branches may be lightly hairy.

The leaves are arranged in four overlapping ranks up the many erect stems. The short, compact flower spikes at the branch tips, the flowers emerging sessile from axils of leafy bracts are initially yellow, darkening to orange or brick red when older. 

The species distribution is in the southwest of the Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula coastally along the lower mountain slopes to the Langeberg Mountains as far as the Robinson Pass.

The habitat is montane fynbos. Some of the plants in the western parts of the range are said to flower darker than the rest. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; Bean and John, 2005; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Mustart, et al, 1997; iNaturalist; mcsa.briefyourmarket.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).