Barleria greenii

Barleria greenii, commonly the wild bush petunia, is a much-branched shrub reaching heights between 80 cm and 1,8 m.

Its leaves are smooth, dark green and shiny above. There is a recurved hook at the leaf tip. Growing on a short stalk, the leaf becomes 3 cm long and 1 cm wide.

The plant bears pretty pink or white flowers in clusters of four to six from leaf axils near stem tips. The buds are sweetly scented at night. Flower diameter is about 4 cm. Pollination is done by moths.

Blooming done, fruits have formed on the plant in picture. The four calyx lobes end in stiff spines.

The species distribution is very restricted between Estcourt and Weenen in KwaZulu-Natal.

The habitat is open rocky areas where grassland and valley bushveld meet, usually near streambanks and other moist areas. The plants grow in black clayey soil derived from dolerite. The species is considered to be critically endangered due to human use of the land, over-grazing by stock, fragmentation and destruction of the limited subpopulations (Pooley, 1998; http://redlist.sanbi.org).