The name Phygelius is derived from the Greek words, phugo, meaning ‘to shun’, and helios, ‘the sun’, referring to its shady habitat. The species name capensis, means ‘of’ or ‘from the Cape’.

Phygelius is an endemic genus of southern Africa and there are only 2 species, Phygelius capensis and P. aequalis, which are much alike but can be distinguished as follows: the tubular flowers are a little shorter and broader in P. capensis, and the flower stalk is bent so that the flowers are angled towards the main stem. Also, the mouth of the flower tube is oblique in P. capensis, but it is round in P. aequalis. Their habitat is also different, Phygelius aequalis is known to grow widely in the valleys of the Little Berg, at altitudes of about 1 500 m, whereas P. capensis is generally found growing at much higher altitudes, of about 3 000 m, in the Giant’s Castle area.