Botanical name

Brunia paleacea

Family

Bruniaceae

Common Name

Bergstompie

Synonym (old name)

Nebelia paleacea
Brunia paleacea
Brunia paleacea
Brunia paleacea
Brunia paleacea
Brunia paleacea

Description

Rounded shrub up to 1m, resprouting from a fire resistant root stock, branches are sparsely hairy. Narrow triangular leaves curve inwards and are 3-6 mm long, almost hairless and held close to the stem; cream coloured flowers are immersed in a whorl of conspicuous slender white to pink bracts and are up to 7mm across; they are massed in clusters at the tops of stems.

Latin: palea = chaff, -aceus = indicates resemblance (chaffy, of chaff-like texture) - covered with small, weak, erect, membranous scales, resembling the palea of Grasses.

Habitat

Sandstone and rocky slopes

Flower Date

September to February