Aspalathus linearis, rooibos tea flowers

The flowers of Aspalathus linearis grow scattered, solitary or in heads from leaf nodes along the stems. The calyx lobes are green, long and narrow, sometimes reaching almost halfway up the corolla.

The corolla is pale to bright yellow, sometimes partly purple, violet or white. The keel petal is hairy, the calyx hairless. Flowering happens from late winter to summer.

A. linearis grows in symbiotic relationship with certain local micro-organisms in its natural habitat. There is concern about the future of the plant and the concomitant R600 million industry if the predicted temperature increases and rainfall decreases in the region come about (Manning, 2007; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; Wikipedia).