Dianthus micropetalus

Dianthus micropetalus, commonly called wild pink and grashout (grass wood) in Afrikaans, is a low growing, woody shrublet reaching about 7 cm in height.

The blue-green, narrowly linear and grass-like leaves are arranged in tufts at the base of the plant. Branching allows for many tufts to form on one plant, as on the one in the photo.  

The species distribution is in the western, southern and central parts of South Africa, found in the Northern Cape, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, the Free State, North West and Gauteng. 

The habitat is rocky ridges in semi-arid scrubveld. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

The plants are grazed by livestock and game (Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; http://redlist.sanbi.org).