Delosperma calycinum

Delosperma calycinum, another species sometimes called skaapvygie (sheep mesemb) in Afrikaans, is a ground covering dwarf succulent. Maybe skaapvygies grow where sheep farming is common? Maybe the sheep eat them.

This skaapvygie branches much and spreads by means of prostrate stems to a width of nearly 50 cm in diameter. The short, hairy leaves are thickly succulent, nearly triangular in cross-section, acutely pointing at the tips. The upper surface is shallowly concave, convex below, appearing like the prow of a tiny green boat. The leaves grow in opposite pairs, so densely leaved that they usually hide the stems from view.

The flowers are white with a little yellow in the centre. The delicate, narrow petals that curve down slightly form an irregular corolla with a faint shine. The pale yellow stamens are erect, not cohering tightly, leaving a small central opening among them.

The plant grows in the Eastern Cape in arid and semi-arid scrubland (Smith, et al, 1998).