| Syncarpha speciosissima | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dry flowers of the Cape everlasting | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Syncarpha |
| Species: | S. speciosissima |
| Binomial name | |
| Syncarpha speciosissima (L.) B.Nord. | |
| Subspecies | |
| |
| Synonyms [1] [2] | |
| |
Syncarpha speciosissima, the Cape everlasting or Cape sewejaartjie, is a species of plant from South Africa.
Syncarpha speciosissima is a shrublet with erect stems that grows to be 20–60 cm (7.9–23.6 in) tall. It is covered in white wooly hairs and produces new shoots every year. [3] The light grey-green leaves are held close to the base of the stem and are oblong or linear in shape. [3] [4]
Disc-shaped flower heads are borne on the ends of long stems between July and January. They have a diameter of 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in). [5] The center starts off yellow, turning brown with age. [3] The flower is surrounded by sharply pointed petal-like bracts. [4] They have a papery texture and are white or cream in colour. [5]
This species in endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa, where it grows on sandstone slopes between the Cape Peninsula and Tradouws Pass. [5] It prefers the upper slopes of mountains and grows in open areas between bushes. [4]