Cliffortia ruscifolia var. ruscifolia at Kagga Kamma

An arid region Cliffortia ruscifolia var. ruscifolia shrub may be a sparse affair, its slender, wand-like branches a far cry from the more rounded shapes of the plant sometimes seen.

The woody stems have pale, smooth bark, without leaves on their lower parts, the green of leaves and red of flowers haphazardly scattered at stem-tips (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Bean and Johns, 2005; Le Roux, et al, 2005).