Siphocodon debilis

Siphocodon debilis is a tangled, winding shrublet with rough texture that grows to 35 cm in height. The leaves are reduced to ovate scales of about 2 mm in length, ascending close to or nearly adhering to the green stems.

The distribution of the plant is restricted to the Caledon and Hermanus region where the plants grow on rocky and sandy fynbos slopes. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

The generic name is derived from the Greek words siphon meaning tube or pipe and codon meaning criers bell, referring to the corolla shape. The specific name debilis is a Latin word meaning frail or weak, referring to the delicate appearance of the plant.

This small genus of the Campanulaceae family has another species also growing in the Caledon area, viz. S. spartioides. It has wiry stems and blue or purple flowers (Bean and Johns, 2005; Burman and Bean, 1985; Andrew, 2012; http://redlist.sanbi.org).