Dinteranthus microspermus subsp. puberulus

Dinteranthus is a small genus of about six perennial succulents in the Aizoaceae family. They are characterised by rounded, fat-looking leaf-pairs. All of them are distributed in arid land close to the lower Gariep, both in the Northern Cape and across the border in Namibia.

Dinteranthus microspermus subsp. puberulus grows in sandy soil among stones, exposed in a sparsely vegetated habitat that experiences extreme temperatures and low rainfall. The plants are sometimes difficult to spot among the pebbles.

The bud is here opening with orange petals. All Dinteranthus species have flowers coloured in shades of yellow. Whether the colouring changed to yellow by the time this flower was fully open is not known. Otherwise something funny is to be suspected here (Smith, et al, 1998).