Ruschia virgata

Ruschia virgata is a sprawling, leaf succulent shrublet reaching heights around 20 cm in height. The young stems tend to being reddish.

The opposite leaf-pairs are free at the base, ascending decussately on the stems. They are keeled, flat on the upper surfaces and triangular in cross-section, ending in pointed tips. The smooth leaf surfaces are dark-mottled. Leaf size is about 20 mm long and 5 mm wide.

The variably pink or purplish flowers grow in small clusters at upper stems. The petals occasionally have darker lines longitudinally along the centre. The flower is up to 25 mm in diameter. Flowering happens in spring.

The species distribution in the Western Cape is restricted to the eastern part of the Little Karoo. The photo was taken at the Minwater farm near Oudtshoorn.

The habitat is scrub on sandy and loamy flats and slopes. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).