Blink—and you’ll miss it. An Aspidoglossum species new to science hides in plain sight. Slender and grass-like, it bears needle-like leaves along its stem, and the flowers are so small they demand a careful squint – making a bumblebee seem the size of a Boeing 747 by comparison.
I first noticed a few plants on Mountainlands a few years ago, and last weekend spotted another at Songimvelo Nature Reserve. Specimens from Mountainlands have since been sent to a taxonomist at the National Herbarium in Pretoria for formal description. It is a relief to see the known distribution of this very elusive grassland species expanding, as it suggests a far greater level of ecological resilience than initially assumed.
Aspidoglossum belongs to the asclepiads—a group of milkweed-like plants within the Apocynaceae family, best known for their intricate flowers and unusual pollination systems. There are approximately 14 Aspidoglossum species recorded in Mpumalanga, with a few more still awaiting description. Because many Aspidoglossum species are restricted to specific habitats—such as wetlands and montane grasslands—their presence can be a useful indicator of ecosystem health. While some asclepiads are highly specialised in the pollinators they attract, Aspidoglossum species are thought to appeal to a broader range of grassland insects, making them important contributors to pollinator networks in montane ecosystems.