Microloma tenuifolium

Microloma tenuifolium, or kannetjies, is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae that is native to the south-western Cape, South Africa.

Microloma tenuifolium
The glossy, urn-shaped flowers of Microloma tenuifolium
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Microloma
Species:	M. tenuifolium
Binomial name
Microloma tenuifolium (L.) K.Schum.

Description

Microloma tenuifolium stems and flowers

Like other Microloma 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. ^[1]