Clutia alaternoides var. alaternoides

Clutia alaternoides var. alaternoides, commonly known in Afrikaans as jeukbossie (little itch bush), is a multistemmed, resprouting shrub reaching heights around 70 cm. Clutias do not contain milky latex, although they form part of the Euphorbiaceae family.

The distribution of this variety of C. alaternoides is mainly in the Western Cape, strongly into the southwest of the Eastern Cape as far as Gqeberha and slightly into the west of the Northern Cape. The plant in picture was seen in Jonkershoek near Stellenbosch during July.

The plants grow on flats and slopes in fynbos, scrub and succulent Karoo. The plant is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Bean and Johns, 2005; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).