Ursinia tenuiloba
Zulu name: umuthi wezifuba

Burnt grassland is dotted with cheerful clumps of this little daisy which open their faces to the sun each day.  Each flower is on a single stalk, but the clump produces many flowers.  The yellow petals are pinkish red underneath and it looks completely different when the flowers start to droop. The leaves are small, feathery, deeply lobed and low to the ground.

Ursinia tenuiloba is one of the first plants to appear after fires in KZN, occurring from the coast to the mountains. There are 40 species in southern Africa, many of which are found in the western parts of South Africa creating the incredible floral display in Spring.  This one is pollinated by a pale green fly.  It is used in traditional medicine to treat coughs, as the Zulu name indicates.

Click on any of the links below to see another Dargle wildflower