21; see text Passerina is a genus in the plant family Thymelaeaceae, native to southern Africa.

The genus name Passerina derives from the Latin word passer "sparrow" - given the plants in reference to a perceived similarity in the shape of the fruit to a sparrow's beak - more evident in the Thymelaceous plant Thymelaea hirsuta (formerly placed in the genus Passerina).

[3] Members of the genus Passerina are ericoid shrubs or shrublets, often with a tendency to having pendulous branches.

They are concave or closely involute, lined with woolly hairs, and cling to leafy stems without being large enough to cover them.

As in the related Struthiola, the beak-like aspects of the fruit inspired the name "Passerina", which is from the Latin passerinus, meaning "sparrow-like".

The attractive ericoid habit and fuss-free growth make it a useful subject in informal fynbos gardens.

The Khoisan name gonna refers to the use of its tough bark, together with that of related plants, for binding such items as thatch.

However, this harmlessness might well be for the same reason that the plants generally are of no value as forage for browsers, namely that they are unpalatable to stock.