Ruttyruspolia Phyllis van Heerden in the Walter Sisulu

Ruttyruspolia Phyllis van Heerden is a large, semi-deciduous shrub reaching 2 m in height, occasionally 5 m and up to 4 m wide. The plant grows fairly fast, its much-branched habit varying from erect to spreading or scrambling.

Inflorescences are up to 10 cm long, densely flowered at branch tips. Soft, green bracts are among the flowers, prominent initially around the white buds together with the thin, narrowly pointed, green sepals.

The corolla is two-lipped with spreading petal lobes. The upper pair of oblong petals are smaller than the lower, elliptic three; all five with rounded tips. Particularly the lower petals have tiny, scattered, dark pink dots near the base of their pale surfaces that may be pale pink, rose or mauve. The long, pale style of the flower is exserted far, conspicuous with hooked stigma.

Flowering happens from summer to autumn. Old inflorescences persist on the bush, turning black (www.plantzafrica.com).