About Lobostemon glaucophyllus (Jacq.) H.Buek
Lobostemon glaucophyllus (Jacq.) H.Buek is a resprouting shrub that grows up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall. It produces stemless leaves that are oblong or lance-shaped. The upper leaf surface appears hairless, but actually bears sparse hairs that are mostly limited to the leaf margin and apex. Flowering occurs between July and October. Flowers are borne in cymes, and their colour ranges from blue or pink to cream. The unelongated young flowering axis holds loosely arranged flower buds that form a globose structure. This structure may or may not spread greatly during the fruiting stage. The species typically has five protruding stamens, rarely six. Its staminal scales are rounded, and are positioned approximately one quarter of the way up the corolla tube. This species is endemic to South Africa, where it has a relatively wide distribution. Its range extends from Spektakelberg near Springbok in the north to Kleinmond in the south, with an additional isolated population located in the Gamka Mountain Reserve. In the southern parts of its range, it frequently grows in granitic soils, and plants in this area tend to have larger leaves. It can also be found growing in the limey soils of sand plain fynbos, the sandstone soils of mountain fynbos, and the sandy soils of the western coastal plains.
