What I find intriguing in this little annual, is the way the flowers open and rearrange their petals.
The flowers appear in October, are pink with a white or straw-coloured base and may be up to 2.5 cm in diameter.
The plants are up to 10 cm tall and 15 cm in diameter; the leaves are club-shaped, bright green but turning reddish when the flowers start appearing.
In the Tanqua Karoo and Little Karoo the species is locally abundant in disturbed places (usually in quartz).
These small annual plants have up to 6 cm long, strap to racket-shaped leaves which are covered with glistening bladder cells.
The yellow flowers have long stalks and are relatively large (about 4 cm in diameter); they appear in July-October.
Usually found in disturbed, sandy places from Springbok to Kamieskroon en Nieuwoudtville. Photos taken 8 August 2018 just north of Gifberg.
In many parts of the world this extremely variable annual is a popular garden plant.
The plants are low-growing, usually less than 10 cm tall, with narrow, spatula-shaped leaves.
In nature the beautiful flowers appear in August-September, usually in shades of white, pink, reddish-purple or red, but sometimes also in yellow or orange. They are 2-4 cm in diameter.
This species is widespread in disturbed sandy soils in the winter rainfall area of South Africa from Namaqualand to Riversdale.
