Hermannia althaeifolia

Hermannia althaeifolia is commonly known as the woolly doll’s rose, in Afrikaans as pokkiesblom (pox flower), a name shared with some other Hermannia species. There is also the name bokkiesblom (little antelopes’ flower) doing the rounds, thought to be a corruption of pokkiesblom, the latter connotation superior in charm. The plant is a pale, soft-haired shrublet that reaches heights around 50 cm.

Yellow untwisted bell-shaped flowers with thick, hairy calyces are produced late in winter to midspring.

The distribution is in the west of the Northern Cape, Namaqualand, to the Cape Peninsula in the Western Cape and eastwards to the west of the Eastern Cape as far as Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).

The habitat is stony lower slopes and flats in both clay and loam soils. It may be abundant after fires or on disturbed ground. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2009; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).