Hilliardiella, belonging to the Asteraceae family, honours the botanist, Dr Olive May Hilliard. There are approximately 8 species in the genus.

Hilliardiella oligocephala is an attractive perennial with bicolored leaves and attractive bright purple flowers. It is the most common silver-leafed species indigenous to the southern African grasslands. It was previously called Vernonia oligocephala. The bicoloured-leaved Hilliardiella oligocephala is an erect, often tufted herbaceous perennial plant with flowering branches that develop from a woody rootstock. It grows up to 300-800 mm high. Hilliardiella oligocephala attracts many insects especially bees and butterflies to its colourful flowers. The light seeds with hairy parachutes are dispersed by the wind. This plant has developed adaptations to the challenges faced by grassland plants such as regular fires; this it achieves through dying back to its underground rootstock during the dry, fire-prone winter months. Hilliardiella oligocephala is used to make ubulawu, which is the local isiZulu word for plants that cause visionary and prophetic dreams and allows one to connect with and receive messages from the spiritual world. Its fresh leaves, roots or twigs are pulverized, and the infusion is taken orally or used as tea. It is also used as a remedy against mild forms of diabetes. According to Pooley (1998) this plant is traditionally used to treat intestinal problems e.g. abdominal pain, colic and other complaints as well as to drive away hailstorms. Its roots have also been used to treat ulcerative colitis.