AMARANTHACEAE

Cyathula lanceolata

Stekelbossie

Wildflowers

Local Context

Uncommon and a nice find. Look for it in brakish or sandy soil.

Identification

Growth: Perennial herb or small shrub that branches from the base, growing upright or spreading along the ground (15–90 cm tall).
Flowers: Dull white or cream, arranged in solitary, rounded heads (1.5–2 cm wide) at the tips of branches; the heads contain sterile flowers modified into clusters of straw-colored or purplish spines.
Leaves: Firm, narrow to egg-shaped (1.2–5.5 cm long), with edges that are often wavy or curled; they are usually stalkless or have very short stalks, often with small ear-like lobes at the base.
Texture: Leaves vary from soft and velvety to rough-hairy; the flower heads are woolly in the center but surrounded by sharp spines (burrs).
Fruit: Small egg-shaped capsule (about 3 mm) containing a smooth brown seed.

Did You Know?

Although other Amaranth species are weedy exotics, this plant is native to South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape), Namibia, Botswana, and Eswatini, extending north to Tanzania.

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