A widespread a and very variable taxon* occurring in loamy and clayey soils and on stony slopes from the mouth of the Orange river to the southwestern Cape and the eastern end of the Little Karoo.
The plants have stems 1-2 cm thick, with or without fine hairs, and form clumps up to 25 cm in diameter and 30 cm tall.
The flowers are 5-14 cm in diameter and vary from uniform reddish-purple to striped red and yellow, with or without soft hairs in the centre and along the margins. They appear in March-October.
Also see S. hirsuta var. gariepensis.
*taxon = a taxonomic group or unit of any rank: in this case the term refers to a variety.
