Cullumia reticulata

    Cullumia reticulata

    Cullumia reticulata, commonly sometimes the mountain snake thistle, in Afrikaans the steekhaarbos (sting hair bush) and previously scientifically C. ciliaris and Berkheya ciliaris respectively, is a straggling shrublet reaching 60 cm in height.

    The species distribution of this South African endemic is in the west of the Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula to Caledon and northwards to Clanwilliam. The photo was taken in Jonkershoek near Stellenbosch.

    The habitat is fynbos on lower sandstone slopes. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).