Huernia pillansii living among dry sticks

Huernia pillansii normally hides from the full power of the sun under the shrubs of its habitat. If it succeeds, some green may be seen on the tuft of stems, especially after rain. Otherwise the purplish brown colour as in the photo is common when its shield plant has lost branches.

The distribution of the species lies on both sides of the Swartberge in the central Karoo and Little Karoo, from Montagu to the Eastern Cape. It is often found in clayey soils on stony slopes and flats. This specimen was photographed close to Oudtshoorn (White and Sloane, 1937; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010).