''Microloma tenuifolium'', or kannetjies, is a species of plant in the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

that is native to the south-western Cape,

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 ...

Description

Like other ''

Microloma ''Microloma'' is a small genus of ''Ceropegia''-like twiners and twiggy bushes occurring in mainly arid or fynbos regions in South Africa. They are generally nondescript when not in bloom, but the flowers of most species are incongruously decorat ...

'' species, this is a thin climbing plant. However this species has long, slender leaves (''"tenuifolium"'' means "slender leaves") and a swollen rootstock. It also has distinctively shaped, waxy, brightly coloured flowers. The flower sepals are held close to the main flower's column, which is twisted. The flowers appear mostly in winter and spring.

Distribution

This species usually occurs in the southern and western coastal districts, in a predominantly winter-rainfall region, with its range mostly lying within the Western Cape Province. It also extends into the westernmost part of the Eastern Cape Province.

References

External links

* * tenuifolium {{Apocynaceae-stub