Ursinia anthemoides

Ursinia anthemoides, commonly known as the magriet or bergmagriet (mountain magriet), is an erect annual herb. It may branch from the base and reach various heights up to 50 cm, depending on conditions. The common colour of the ray florets is yellow, while orange, salmon or pale cream flowering plants are sometimes seen.

The species distribution along the west and south coasts of the country is in the Northern Cape and Western Cape, slightly into the Eastern Cape and southern Namibia. The photo was taken on the Piketberg Mountain.

The habitat is variable on clayey, sandy and gravelly flats and slopes. There are two subspecies, viz. subsp. anthemoides and subsp. versicolor (meaning different colours). Neither subspecies is considered to be threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century.

U anthemoides has become a noted weed in Western Australia (Manning, 2007; Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).