Darling in the south, through the Hopefield, Piketberg, and Clanwilliam districts, to the Heerenlogementberg and the Nardouw Pass. An isolated population can be found south of the Brandvlei Dam. Isolated populations near Kraaifontein (1960s) and Salt River (19th century), now a Cape Town suburb, have gone extinct due to urban expansion. The species is a prominent constituent of sandveld vegetation that grows on the sandy flats of the west of the Western Cape province, between sealevel and 250 m (800 ft) or rarely 300 m (1000 ft) altitude, often together with Leucadendron pubescens and several large, tufted Restionaceae, such as Willdenowia. It occurs only in loose, very often stabilised Tertiary or Quaternary drift sands. The average annual precipitation in this area is 380–500 mm (15–20 in), mainly falling during the winter half year. The species is pollinated by insects, such as honey bees, monkey beetle), skippers, and also visited by birds like the Cape sugarbird, orange-breasted sunbird, and Cape weaver. The ripe fruits fall to the ground about two months after flowering, where these are collected by native ants, that carry them to their nests. Here they remain underground, safe for fire, seed-eating rodents and birds, until an overhead fire clears the vegetation and triggers the seeds to germinate. Conservation The sandveld pincushion is considered a vulnerable species because its population has decreased by at least 30% in the last 60 years, due to habitat loss through agricultural expansion and groundwater extraction. References External links several photos Endemic flora of South Africa Plants described in 1803 rodolentum