Lobostemon glaucophyllus

Lobostemon glaucophyllus, the smooth-leaved bush bugloss or grey healthbush, is a South African plant species belonging to the forget-me-not family. It is endemic to South Africa's Cape Provinces.

Description

This resprouting shrub grows up to tall. The stemless leaves are oblong or lance-like in shape. While the tops of the leaves appear hairless, they are covered in sparse hairs that are largely confined to the margin and apex.
Flowers are present between July and October. They are borne in cymes and are blue or pink to cream in colour. The young young flowering axis is unelongated with the flower buds loosely arranged to form a globose unit. These may or may not spread greatly in the fruiting stage. There are five stamens which protrude slightly. The staminal scales are rounded and are located about a quarter of a way up the corolla tube.

Distribution and habitat

While it is endemic to South Africa, this species is relatively widely distributed, occurring from Spektakelberg near Springbok in the north to Kleinmond in the south. There is also an isolated population in the Gamka Mountain Reserve. It frequently occurs on granitic soils in the southern parts of its range, where leaves tend to be larger. It also occurs in the more limey soils of the sand plain fynbos, the sandstone soils of the mountain fynbos and the sandy soils of the western coastal plains.