Hermannia glanduligera, known as ‘the sticky-bell-flower’ is flowering around the Hoedspruit area at the moment, in early winter (June). The flowers are small, but very striking when viewed up close.

This species is a subshrubby perennial, growing up to 1 m in height. All parts of the plant have simple, stellate and glandular hairs. The leaves are mostly lanceolate with serrate (toothed) margins. Flowers are solitary in the upper leaf axils and have petals that are pink to red, rarely whitish. The fruit is an oblong-obovoid capsule, densely glandular with short spreading horns at the tip.

This species is found in Angola, Botswana Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Northern South Africa (which is where I live). The genus Hermannia belongs to the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises at least 65 species

They are found in bushveld, along rivers and streams, and grow as weeds in some agricultural land and disturbed areas. They seem to prefer soft sandy soil.

It is described as ‘least concern’. The genus commemorates Prof. Paul Hermann (1646-1695), a German professor of botany at Leyden and one of the first collectors to visit the Cape.