Helichrysum appendiculatum

Helichrysum appendiculatum, commonly known as sheep’s ears everlasting, in Afrikaans as skaapoorbossie (little sheep's ear bush) and previously scientifically as Gnaphalium appendiculatum, is a soft perennial that grows grey-woolly, branched stems from a thick, woody rootstock to heights around 60 cm. 

The inflorescences are terminal clusters of small flowerheads, compact or spreading. Several rows of pointed involucral bracts around the small yellow cluster of disc flowers vary in colour from cream to pink or purplish. Flowering happens mainly in summer, sometimes longer, but not in winter. The fruit is an achene, crowned by a ring of pappus hairs.

The species distribution is widespread from Swellendam in the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and the Free State to KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as Swaziland. The photo was taken in the Mkhomazi Wilderness Area during January. 

The habitat is grassland and scrub from the coast to elevations around 2100 m. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Pooley, 1998; Trauseld, 1969; iNaturalist; iSpot; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).