Diascia patens

Diascia patens, commonly in Afrikaans the grootblombokhoring (big flower antelope horn), is an erect or straggling perennial reaching heights from 45 cm to 1 m. The lower stem parts become woody.

The simple, stalkless leaves are opposite and decussate, narrowly linear and tapering to acutely pointed tips. The leaves may be finely channelled on top. Ovate blades and ones with few-toothed rather than entire margins are occasionally seen. Lower leaves tend to be bigger.

The specific name, patens, is a Latin word meaning open, accessible or exposed, possibly referring to the outspread aspect of the leaves.

The species distribution is in the southeast of the Western Cape from Bredasdorp and Ladismith to the southwest of the Eastern Cape as far Humansdorp. The photo was taken at Kruisrivier west of Oudtshoorn.

The habitat is dry fynbos and renosterveld in rocky, loam soil, often near drainage lines. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

This is the only perennial Diascia found in the Little Karoo (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).