It is endemic to parts of eastern and southern Africa, where its popular name is "pride of De Kaap".

The species name commemorates E. E. Galpin, a South African botanist and banker.

[2] It is native to Angola, to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and to KwaZulu Natal and the Northern Provinces of South Africa.

The resulting shape gave rise to the Afrikaans popular name "kameelpoot", meaning "camel's foot".

It usually takes the form of a dense, sprawling shrub of up to some 3 m (9.8 ft) high, but under some conditions, such as in undergrowth, may reach double that height.