Phylica is a genus of plants in the family Rhamnaceae. It contains about 150 species, the majority of which are restricted to South Africa, where they form part of the fynbos. A few species occur in other parts of southern Africa, and on islands including Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, Île Amsterdam, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island. The genus name Phylica is based on the greek word phyllikos, which means leafy, referring to the densely leafy stems of most of the plants in this genus.

Phylica axillaris is a South African endemic species from the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces where it can be found growing from Agulhas coast to Katberg and Alexandria. It grows from 80 cm to 150 cm tall and forms a bushy shrub with long narrow dark green leaves. It bears creamy-white flowers.