About Heliophila africana (L.) Marais
Heliophila africana (L.) Marais is an annual herb. It can grow up to 135 cm (53 in) tall, and most individuals reach between 60 and 70 cm (24 to 28 in) in height. The plant may be sparsely branched. Its leaves are lance-shaped, sometimes toothed, and lack stipules. Leaves grow up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long and sometimes develop lobes. Lower leaves grow on stalks, while upper leaves are stalkless. The flowers are blue or mauve, and flowering occurs most commonly between August and October. Each flower has four round petals, each with a basal appendage, that surround a white center and a yellow stamen. One appendage per petal is the most common arrangement, though two appendages per petal occur rarely. Flowers contain between 20 and 52 ovules. They only open when it is warm, and close when the environment cools. The fruits are linear, and measure 13–100 mm (0.51–3.94 in) long. Fruits are flat or slightly rounded in cross-section with straight margins and 3-nerved valves, though rare specimens with 5 valves have been found. The seeds are subcircular or broadly oblong in shape, and measure 1.7–2.3 mm (0.067–0.091 in) long. This species is endemic to South Africa. It occurs between Namaqualand and Swellendam, and is most common between the Cape Peninsula and Clanwilliam. It prefers sandy flats, where it grows between bushes and rocks.
