Callilepis laureola

Callilepis laureola, commonly the ox-eye daisy and in Afrikaans wildemargriet (wild Marguerite), is an erect perennial growing from a large tuberous rootstock, reaching heights from 60 cm to 75 cm when in flower. The stems are simple or branched from the base.

The species distribution is mainly in KwaZulu-Natal but also in the northeast of the Eastern Cape, the east of the Free State and the east of Mpumalanga, as well as in at least eSwatini and Mozambique among neighbouring countries. The photo was taken near the Sani Pass.

The habitat is grassland from the coast to elevations around 1800 m. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

The tubers of this plant are poisonous. The plant features in traditional medicine relating to various complaints; also in the treatment of some cattle diseases.

This is a popular and hardy garden plant coping with some frost (Manning, 2009; Germishuizen and Clarke, 2003; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).