Lobostemon hottentoticus

Lobostemon hottentoticus is a shrublet reaching heights from 30 cm to 60 cm.

The sessile, grey green leaves are scattered, ascending on the stems. The leaf-shape is oblong to narrowly elliptic. The thickish blades are slightly concave on their upper surfaces and sparsely hairy along the margins. Creamy midribs are noticeable on the lower leaf halves.

The species distribution is highly restricted to an area from Somerset West to Gordon’s Bay in the Western Cape. The photo was taken near Sir Lowry’s Pass.

The habitat is Boland granite fynbos on stony lower slopes. The habitat population is deemed endangered early in the twenty first century, due to human activities, invasion by alien vegetation and too frequent fires (Bean and Johns, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).