Ursinia calenduliflora

Ursinia calenduliflora, commonly the Namaqua parachute daisy or in Afrikaans the berggousblom (mountain calendula) and scientifically previously Sphenogyne calendulaeflora, is a small annual herb reaching 30 cm to 35 cm in height.

The species is endemic to the western part of the Northern Cape and the northwest of the Western Cape. This photo was taken at Goegap among Namaqua klipkoppe where these and other daisy flowers abound in late winter and early spring, weather permitting. The plant is well-known at Nieuwoudtville, also in the Richtersveld.

The habitat is mostly rocky, gravelly and sandy lower slopes and flats. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2009; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Eliovson, 1990; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).