Caputia tomentosa

Caputia tomentosa, previously Senecio haworthii and commonly known as the woolly senecio or in Afrikaans tontelbossie, is a compact succulent shrublet growing to heights around 25 cm.

The plant has white-woolly, cylindrical leaves that taper elegantly towards their pointed tips. It produces solitary, stalked, bright yellow flowerheads comprising disc florets only, no rays.

Seed production of this plant is said to be low. Vegetative propagation is the indicated method for the gardener, provided that legally obtained plant material is available.

The species distribution is in the Northern Cape from the Richtersveld to the Great Karoo around Sutherland.

The habitat in these parts is harsh, suggesting strong measures of conserving moisture. This resulted in the thick, woolly leaf coverings the plant has developed. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Eliovson, 1990; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).