Aspalathus

Aspalathus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The yellow flowers and spiny habit of some species have suggested a resemblance to Ulex europaeus, the thorny "English gorse" Accordingly, "Cape Gorse" has been proposed as a common name although the resemblance is largely superficial; for instance, gorse is thorny, whereas Aspalathus species are variously spiny or unarmed. The genus belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. There are over 270 species, mainly endemic to southwestern fynbos regions in South Africa, with over fifty occurring on the Cape Peninsula alone. The species Aspalathus linearis is commercially important, being farmed as the source of Rooibos tea. Aspalathus species generally are shrubs or sometimes shrublets. They are normally bushy, however some species can grow sprawling or upright with branches that stand on their own. The flowers of most species are plentiful in season, a rich, showy yellow very common in the Western Cape mountains in particular. The ......read more on Wikipedia.