Graderia scabra
Common names: Pink Ground-bells or Wild Penstemon, Zulu names: inkunzi, impundu, ibeja, isiqomiso Xhosa name: isimonya

This perennial plant grows up to 60 cm tall in grassland. The leaves are toothed and hairy and the flowers a deep pink or reddish, occasionally white. 
Graderia is much sought after in traditional medicine – mostly in concoctions with other plants - to treat stomach complaints, fevers, sores and when mixed with damp termite earth, applied to smallpox rashes. In Sotho culture Graderia is used to prevent miscarriages and relieve menstrual pain.  In Pondoland it is very popular with boys when they first become interested in girls and start to compete for their attention. The roots are chewed and the saliva rubbed onto the hands and face as perfume.
It is found in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Western Cape.

Click on any of the links below to see another Dargle wildflower