Delosperma sutherlandii

Delosperma sutherlandii, sometimes called the fire sheepfig, is an erect perennial leaf succulent of the Aizoaceae family that grows many spreading branches. The branches form a mat less than 15 cm in height.

The leaves are ovate, tapering to acute tips. The upper leaf surface is flat to concave, the lower one convex with most of the bulk near the centre, thinning towards the angular margins in a shallow boat-shape. The green leaf surfaces are rough with small bladder cells and scattered tiny white hairs, especially near the margins. Foliage may seasonally assume red colouring.

The plant produces long lasting pink-purple flowers and has a long summer blooming season. The petals are white near the base, oblong in shape with rounded tips. Flowers have white to yellow central clusters of stamens and styles. A fleshy calyx with five pointed lobes subtends the corolla. 

D. sutherlandii is found in the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. This plant was seen in February near Sabie.

The habitat is open grassland, also in dry climates, succulence rendering it drought resistant. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Germishuizen and Clarke, 2003; Smith, et al, 1998; Onderstall, 1996; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).