Cape Snow / Sewejaartjie

Description:

Growing up to 1 m tall, this compact, much-branched shrublet has soft woody stems and branches and a thick covering of grey-woolly hairs that feels like felt. The densely crowded leaves are erect and narrowly oblong, usually about 5–8 mm wide. Towards the branch tips the leaves give way to narrow, dry bracts and finally to a solitary, conical flowerhead about 20 mm wide. Each flowerhead has several, closely overlapping bracts that surround a dense cluster of tiny purple flowers. The bracts are acute, shiny white and papery, which makes them rustle gently in the wind. On cool, overcast days and at night the bracts loosely enclose the flowers and only spread wide to reveal the flowers in warm sunshine. Flowering lasts several weeks while the tiny flowers open in sequence. This may start in late October and last until January. Each tiny fruit is topped by a small tuft of bristles that helps carry it away on the wind. Although fast growing, the plant is relatively short lived, with a life span of less than ten years. (From http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/syn...)

Habitat:

Populations of many thousands of plants are found from the Cape Peninsula to near George, Western Cape. The plants grow in full sun on sandy flats and well-drained stony slopes within fynbos. (From http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/syn...)