Wahlenbergia albens

Wahlenbergia albens, sometimes commonly called the pale Capebell, in Afrikaans the witmuistepelkaroo (white mouse nipple Karoo) and scientifically previously Lightfootia albens, is a shrublet reaching heights from 20 cm to 50 cm. The slender plant grows wand-like branches, often many of them.

The species distribution is mainly in the west and south of the country, in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape, as well as the Free State. The photo was taken in the Kouga in the Eastern Cape.

The habitat is karoid shrubland, renosterveld and dry grassland where the plants grow on rocky slopes and flats. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://worldfloraonline.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).