Dombeya pulchra N.E.Br.

Shrub, 1-4 m high, sometimes a fairly large tree up to 7 m tall. Branches longitudinally ridged, not very stout, fairly smooth; bark stringy; pith soft; branches laxly to very densely pubescent with light brown, more or less patently spreading, glandular hairs over 1 mm long. Very occasionally a specimen has a few acute, non-glandular hairs intermixed, or rarely, pubescence entirely of non-glandular, acute, patent hairs. Stipules subovate-oblong or linear-acuminate, about 10-16 mm long, 2-6 mm broad, felted on both sides with a short velvety pubescence sometimes with a few long or glandular hairs along the margins. Leaves with blade broadly ovate, about 6.5 x 6 to 25 x 9.5 cm, deeply cordate at the base, broadly acuminate, sometimes 3-, rarely 5-lobed in the upper half, obscurely to shallowly crenate-dentate on the margins, distinctly discolourous, upper surface with a lax to dense, short, stellate pubescence, lower surface always metallic-grey, felted with a short velvety pubescence, 5-7-palmately nerved, veins slender, prominent on lower surface; petiole 3-16 cm long, sparsely to densely pubescent with light brown, patent, glandular hairs, rarely with pointed non-glandular hairs mixed, or dominant (specimen of hybrid origin?), usually thicker than the peduncle, longer or shorter than the peduncle. Inflorescence cymose, axillary in upper leaves, 2-17-flowered; peduncle 4-14 cm long, sparsely to densely glandular hairy; pedicels up to 2.5 cm long, similarly hairy. Bracts inserted at or very near the calyx base, ovate, narrowly ovate-oblique, oblong or narrowly oblong, 5-16 mm long, 2-8 mm broad, shortly acuminate to a subacute or caudate apex, cordate, rounded or somewhat cuneate at the base, tomentose with stellate or tufted hairs, often shortly and densely so, giving a felted appearance, sometimes hairs longer and shaggy. Calyx rounded at the base or with a short stipe up to 2 mm long, rarely longer; lobes 8-18 mm long, gradually acuminate from the 1.5-5 mm broad base, stellate-tomentose dorsally, sometimes hairs short and dense giving a felted appearance. Petals mostly white, sometimes creamy or pink and some flowers with purplish-rose markings at the base of the petals, persistent, turning light cinnamon-rufous with age, about 12-20 mm long, 11-20 mm broad near the apex. Stamens united at the base for about 3 mm, filaments of different lengths, up to about 4 mm; anthers about 3.5 mm long; staminodes about 10 mm long. Ovary about 3 mm long, 2.5 mm broad; velvety tomentose with a few slightly longer tufted hairs showing; style about 8 mm long, pubescent at the base, branches 5, strongly recurved, about 3.5 mm long; cells 5, walls thin, with up to 6 ovules in each cell. Capsule 7-10 mm long, about 7 mm broad, with a short dense stellate tomentum intermixed with longer tufted hairs (but these hairs under 1 mm long), pubescent on the sutures within; seeds brown, pitted.

Rocky hills, streambanks, tall grass with scattered shrubs. Cooler regions with a fairly high rainfall, on rocky hills, in tall grass with scattered shrubs, on the edge of kloofbush or in damp places on banks of streams.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.