About Diastella thymelaeoides (P.J.Bergius) Rourke
Diastella thymelaeoides (P.J.Bergius) Rourke is a flowering shrub that belongs to the genus Diastella and is a component of the fynbos biome. This shrub is native to the Western Cape province of South Africa, where it occurs in the Hottentots Holland Mountains and the northern Kogelberg region surrounding Steenbras Dam. It grows in an upright habit, reaching a maximum height of 1.5 meters. The plant flowers year-round, with the peak flowering period occurring from August to November. Fires will kill mature Diastella thymelaeoides plants, but their seeds survive fire events. Two months after flowering completes, the fruit detaches from the plant, and ants disperse the seeds by storing them in their nests. Diastella thymelaeoides is unisexual, and pollination of the plants is carried out by bees. The species grows on rocky sandstone slopes at elevations between 450 and 900 meters above sea level.
