Felicia ovata

Felicia ovata, in Afrikaans commonly known as the grootbloublommetjie (big little blue flower), is a single-stemmed shrublet growing slender branches to heights from 40 cm to 60 cm.

The distribution of this South African endemic is widespread in the western and southern parts of the country. It occurs in the Northern Cape from the Bokkeveld Mountains, through the Western Cape and into the Eastern Cape as far as Gqeberha, as well as in the south-westerly parts of the Free State. The photo was taken near Oudtshoorn.

The habitat varies in its vegetation. The plants are found in clay and loam soils on karoid and grassland slopes, plateaus, kloofs and ridges. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).