Monsonia burkeana

Monsonia burkeana, crane’s bill or naaldebossie (Afrikaans for little needle bush), is a perennial herb growing annual stems from a woody base, a suffrutex. The plant may grow to 60 cm. It has long narrow leaves folded in along the midribs. The leaf margins are red, hairy and shallowly toothed. Hairiness extends to stems, leaf stalks, flower stalks and sepals.

The wide distribution of this plant ranges from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo, but also beyond the border to Zimbabwe and Angola. This specimen was seen near Kuruman during April. Large distribution areas that include regions not intensively farmed are fortunately often associated with low threats to the survival of a species, as is the case with this plant.

The plant is used as a herbal tea and in traditional medicine (iSpot; www.apps.kew.org).