Merciera leptoloba is a sprawling, woody-based shrublet that grows stiff, erect stems to 30 cm. It is single-stemmed, resprouting after fire.

M. leptoloba grows on sandy lower slopes in soil derived from sandstone, from the Cape Peninsula to Cape Agulhas, also on disturbed land. The species is considered near-threatened in nature early in the twenty first century.

Merciera is a small genus of the Campanulaceae family endemic to the southwestern Cape. It comprises six species (Bean and Johns, 2005; www.theplantlist.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).