Ursinia cakilefolia

    Ursinia cakilefolia
    Author: Ivan Lätti
    Photographer: Thabo Maphisa

    Ursinia cakilefolia, commonly called the glossy-eyed parachute daisy, is an erect or sprawling annual reaching heights from 6 cm to 45 cm. The stems may turn dark red.

    This single-stemmed herb that branches from the base is one of the major contributors to mass springtime blooming in Namaqualand. 

    The species distribution is in the Northern Cape and the Western Cape from Namaqualand to around Piketberg. The photo was taken near Nieuwoudtville.

    The habitat is sandy flats and slopes. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).

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