The large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae. Formerly, Grewia was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus, in honour of the botanist Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712) from England. Grew was one of the leading plant anatomists and microscope researchers of his time, and his study of pollen laid the groundwork for modern-day palynology.

The Lavender Starflower is a perennial shrub or small tree, growing to a height of about 3 m. It is widely distributed in Lesotho and South Africa, in all the provinces except Northern Cape. The leaves are alternate and simple with three distinct veins from the base. They are shiny deep green and may be slightly hairy on both surfaces. They are usually held in a horizontal plane towards the light. It can easily be pruned into different shapes and makes a good container or bonsai plant.