About Gazania lichtensteinii Less.
Gazania lichtensteinii Less. is an annual plant. It may grow as a compact, stemless acaulescent plant, or develop longer stems, and reaches a maximum height of 20 cm. Like many other Gazania species, it produces yellow flowers approximately 4 cm in diameter. Key distinguishing features of this species are its smooth (glabrous) involucres, which are slender in shape with a truncate base that often has a distinct clear collar around it. Its leaves range from obovate to oblanceolate in shape, and are typically 4 cm long. The leaves have toothed (dentate) margins, and a woolly (tomentose) underside. Gazania lichtensteinii is distributed from southern Namibia, extending south across most of the western half of South Africa, including Namaqualand, the Tanqua Karoo, the Gamka Karoo, and parts of the western Little Karoo. It is a common species in the Succulent Karoo. Its small seeds have fluffy tufts that allow them to spread via wind. Young seedlings grow best on rough, barren ground where there is little competition from already established plants. Ostriches are particularly known to feed on these young seedlings.
