I'm in the initial stages of putting together an iSpot identification key for the Mesemb genus Erepsia. Currently there are 53 observations of the genus on iSpot, which comprise 14 species. Altogether there are 31 species in the genus, almost all of which are restricted to the Cape Floristic Region.

If you have photos of any Erepsia species, please post them on iSpot, and keep your eyes peeled for them when you go out on field trips. Your photos will be really helpful for assembling the key, and precise locality data will also help in relocating populations during field surveys.

There are no observations of the following following species on iSpot at present:

E. aperta
(Mat-forming shrublet to 15 cm; stalked flowers pink with pale centre; Grootwinterhoek and Hex River Mts at high altitude)

E. babiloniae
(Dwarf shrub to 20cm; stalked flowers probably pink; Babilonstoring, Caledon)

E. brevipetala
(Robust shrublet to 20 cm, densely branched from the base; Sessile flowers uniformly purple; Malmesbury)

E. distans
(Erect shrublet to 70 cm, branching from the base; stalked flowers pink with pale centre; Cedarberg)

E. dubia
(Upright shrublet densely branched from base; stalked flowers pale with yellow centre; Swellendam)

E. esterhuyseniae
(Mat-forming shrublet; stalked flowers purple with pale centre; Bainskloof to Riviersonderend Mts at high altitude)

E. hallii
(shrublet to 40cm; sessile flowers white with yellow centre; Darling)

E. oxysepala
(Shrublet branching sparsely from base; stalked flowers purply-pink with pale centre; Caledon, Botrivier)

E. pentagona
(Erect shrublet to 40cm; stalked flowers pale pink with deeper coloured centre; Langeberg Mts)

E. polita
(Erect shrublet to 25cm, well-branched from base; sessile flowers purple becoming pink towards centre; Langeberg Mts)

E. polypetala
(Densely-branched shrublet to 40cm; sessile flowers purplish pink with yellow centre; Bredasdorp)

E. promontorii
(Erect shrublet to 20cm, richly branched, stems decumbent with age; stalked flowers purply pink with yellow centre; Cape Peninsula to Hermanus)

E. simulans
(Erect shrublet to 20cm; stalked flowers silvery white with pink tips; Bredasdorp)

E. steytlerae
(Shrublet to 20cm, sessile flowers purplish pink with paler centre; Kleinmond)

E. villiersii
(Erect, densely branched shrublet to 70cm; stalked flowers white with purple tips; Villiersdorp)

Your help will be much appreciated

Many thanks!

• Keys in Plants:
• Cape Plants II