Eriocephalus africanus var. paniculatus

    Eriocephalus africanus var. paniculatus

    Eriocephalus africanus var. paniculatus, the wild rosemary or kapokbossie (little snow bush), varies much across its wide distribution. The silvery grey-leaved, aromatic plant is a member of the Asteraceae or daisy family, a fact that sometimes surprises, as the ray and disc florets are so few and not obviously daisy-like.

    The rays are white or pink, the disc mauve to purple. After flowering which concludes during spring, the woolly white fruits are conspicuous upon the bushes for long.

    The plants are browsed by game and stock, often on the clayey and granitic slopes where they may abound (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Vlok and Schutte, 2015; Moriarty, 1997; iNaturalist).