''Lobostemon echioides'', the common healthbush, is the mostly widely distributed species in its genus. It is endemic to the Cape Provinces of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, where it is found growing between Namaqualand and the

Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...

and the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

Description

This resprouting shrub or undershrub grows about tall. The stalkless leaves are narrow and hairy and are often soft and silvery. Flowers are mainly present from August to October but have been found year round. Plants flowering from February to May seem to be confined to the southern parts of the distribution, where small amounts of rain are available throughout the year. The flowers are small (petals are long) and violet-blue. They are hairy on the outside and are borne in may flowered cymes. The buds are arranged in two distinct rows, spreading greatly in the fruiting stage. The stamens protrude beyond the petals. The staminal scales are triangular with lateral lobes. The staminal scales inserted at the throat of the corolla tube, about above the base of the corolla tube

Distribution and habitat

This is the most widely distributed ''Lobostemon'' species, occurring across the range of the genus. It grows from Namaqualand and the Karoo through to the Eastern Cape.BODATSA: Botanical Collections. v1.4. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Dataset/Occurrence. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=brahms_online&v=1.4 It prefers drier habitats and is absent from wetter areas. It grows on stony slopes and flats in mostly sandstone derived soils.

Ecology

As with other ''Lobostemon'' species, the common healthbush is able to resprout after a fire.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15590890 Boraginaceae Plants described in 1830 Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces