Osteospermum imbricatum

Osteospermum imbricatum, commonly (sometimes) the tile boneseed and previously O. corymbosum, is an erect, somewhat soft shrub or shrublet reaching heights from 50 cm to 2 m.

The tile boneseed name refers to the way the leaves overlap like roof-tiles on the stems. The species name, imbricatum, mentions the same. The old name, corymbosum, indicates the corymb-shaped flowerhead clusters in some of the inflorescences borne by these plants. Osteospermum means boneseed.

The species distribution is mainly coastal in the Western and Eastern Cape. The habitat is lower slopes and flats in fynbos and scrub. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).