Muraltia thunbergii

Muraltia thunbergii, sometimes called leafy purplegorse, is an erect or spreading, branched shrublet that reaches 40 cm in height.

The species distribution is in the far southwest of the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula to Darling and Franschhoek. The photo was taken near Sir Lowry’s Pass.

The habitat is lower sandy and clayey fynbos and renosterveld slopes and flats. The habitat population is considered near threatened early in the twenty first century, due to habitat loss caused by urban expansion (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; https://www.worldfloraonline.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).