The Cape strawflower or everlasting, Phaenocoma prolifera, is a shrub reaching 60 cm in height. It is the only plant in its monotypic genus. This single-stemmed species reseeds after fire, does not resprout, as do the shrubs that grow several stems from woody rootstocks.
Multicoloured flowerheads enveloped in numerous bracts are produced. They are about 2,5 cm in diameter. Blooming happens from spring to autumn.
The species distribution is in the southwest of the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula along the sandstone mountain slopes northwards to Ceres and eastwards to Ladismith and the Outeniqua Mountains.
The habitat is rocky sandstone fynbos slopes. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).