Osteospermum acanthospermum

Osteospermum acanthospermum, in Afrikaans commonly known as the onkruidbietou (weed bietou), is a tufted, sprawling annual reaching 20 cm to 30 cm in height. The soft branches and other plant parts are covered in scattered, long, glandular hairs.

The species occurs in the Northern Cape and the Western Cape from southern Namaqualand to the western Karoo as far as the Hex River Valley. The photo was taken near Nieuwoudtville.

The habitat is semi-arid flats and slopes, the plants growing in gravelly clay soils. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).