Passerina is a genus in the plant family Thymelaeaceae. They are ericoid bushes growing largely in fynbos and other Southern African scrub habitats. Members of the genus Passerina are ericoid shrubs or shrublets, often with a tendency to having pendulous branches. Their leaves are markedly decussate. They are concave or closely involute, lined with woolly hairs, and cling to leafy stems without being large enough to cover them. This gives the plants a characteristic plaited or corded appearance. The genus is endemic to Southern Africa, most species within South Africa, though some extend north of the border. The greatest concentration of species is in Cape fynbos, where some species are endemic to very small regions. Passerina ericoides for example occurs naturally only on the Cape Peninsula and the vicinity of False Bay. The Khoisan name gonna refers to the use of its tough bark, together with that of related plants, for binding such items as thatch. The material certainly is remarkably tough and has been used for plaiting into whip thongs. The Khoisan use of a decoction of some species for treating pain, plus the fact that many species of the Thymelaeaceae suggests that the material might be pharmacologically active, but there is no suggestion that the plants cause harm to stock. 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.

Passerina obtusifolia commonly known as Karoo Gonna in Afrikaans and Karoo Bakers Bush in English is a South African endemic species from the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces. This is a widespread species with distribution in the Northern Cape Karoo, the Little Karoo and the Eastern Cape to around Humansdorp. The plants grow in sandy or loam soils on rocky slopes. Passerina obtusifolia grows branched stems to 1,5 meter tall. It has a single stem at ground level.