Elytropappus rhinocerotis Seeds Rhinoceros Bush Indigenous South African Shrub Seeds from Africa

Elytropappus rhinocerotis Seeds

Rhinoceros Bush, Rhenoster Bush; Renosterbos, Rhenosterbos

Commonly known as rhinoceros bush or rhenoster bush in English and renosterbos or rhenosterbos in Afrikaans is a species that has lately been listed under the name Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis. However, this name is, strictly speaking, not valid until it is published in a recognized scientific journal. Although renosterbos is not showy or beautiful, it is an interesting and important component of our indigenous flora. It is the dominant member and the namesake of the threatened vegetation type renosterveld. The plant renosterbos should not be confused with the veld type renosterveld which consists of a typical assemblage of shrubs, geophytes and grasses. Renosterbos is a single-stemmed, usually smallish shrub up to about 2 m high. The very old branches are gnarled and the bark is smooth and greyish. Older branches are bare of leaves but bear many thin, whip-like twigs which are held erect and covered with tiny, triangular leaves pressed tightly to the stem. In between the leaves a layer of ne white hairs, giving a woolly appearance, is visible, giving the plant a greyish appearance overall. Large numbers of flowerheads (capitula) are borne towards the ends of the twigs but are very small and inconspicuous so that many people do not recognize when a bush is in flower. When the seeds are shed, they become more obvious as the pale brown chaffy bracts around each flowerhead open up to give the plant a brownish, fluffy appearance.