Pentatrichia integra

Pentatrichia integra, previously Anisothrix integra, is sprawling shrublet growing from a compact, woody stem and reaching 30 cm in height. The growth habit in picture is typical, making height measurement interesting.

The Western Cape distribution of the species is limited to a few mountainous parts of the Little Karoo, viz. the Anysberg, the Seweweekspoort and the Rooiberg. The photo was taken on the Sandberg east of the Gamkaberg, the eastern end of the Rooiberg.

The habitat is arid fynbos and scrub, usually associated with cliffs. The plants often grow from fissures in lower sandstone slopes. Although the species is deemed rare, its population in habitat is stable early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Klaassen and Bergh, 2012: Inclusion of the Cape genus Anisothrix in the Namibian-centred genus Pentatrichia (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae) based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis. SA Journal of Botany, 78, 2-11; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).