Osteospermum amplectens

Osteospermum amplectens, in Afrikaans the dassiegousblom (hyrax marigold) and previously Tripteris amplectens and Norlindhia amplectens respectively, is an aromatic, erect annual reaching heights up to 50 cm. It shares the dassiegousblom common name with O. hyoseroides, a similar plant that has leaves not clasping the stem.

The species is endemic to South Africa, distributed in the Northern Cape and the Western Cape in Namaqualand and eastwards to Calvinia. The photo was taken north of Springbok.

The plants grow in rocky areas in sandy soil. They are not considered to be threatened in their habitat early in the twenty first century (Le Roux, et al, 2005; JSTOR; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).