Drosanthemum hispidum or nearly so

This Drosanthemum has dark red and ochre stems covered in long, soft pale hairs. The paired leaves are cylindrical covered in glistening water cells. The buds are covered by five unequal sepals.

The spreading purplish petals of the open flowers are oblanceolate. The stamens spread, not cohering in a cone, indicating the absence of staminodes. Black staminodes occur in yellow or red flowering drosanthemums, the black seen here partly insect, partly exceptional.

It is thought that this plant seen during August north of Springbok on the road to Steinkopf is Drosanthemum hispidum. Other possibilities by appearance include D. ambiguum and D. floribundum that only occur to the south in the Western Cape and D. inornatum, a Northern Cape plant that bears its stamens in a cone with staminodes present (Smith, et al, 1998; Herre, 1971; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).