A bulb and a gazania for identification

[arillady]

I noticed the white flowers today as closed blooms but they opened up this evening so I put my nose to it - slightly perfumed - so it must be a moth attracting South African bulb? I do know that I have raised South African bulbs in years past and this spot in the garden seems to be germinating long planted seeds.
The gazania? is a very tiny variegated one - do not remember any flowers in the years I have had it. Bought in a pot without a name.

[Miriam]

Pat,

I think that the first one is Hesperantha cucullata.

All the best,
Miriam

[Paul T]

Pat,

As Miriam says, the first is Hesperantha cucullata or Hesperantha falcata.  Apparently the difference between the two is mostly bulb shape, at least to those of us without a botanical degree.  By your picture I'd say they are only just opening, as they aren't flat yet, and if you stuck your nose in and they were lightly perfumed they definitely weren't fully open.... they can be very strong after they've been open a while.  I took some photos of mine myself this evening too.  Love the arrangement of the stamens in the flower, offset at an angle and very different to anything else I have come across.  I've not had a chance to process the pics yet or I would post one here to show you. 

As to the variegated Gazania.... do you have a larger pics showing some more detail?  It looks finer than my variegated with the yellow flowers I think, but I'd be interested to see some more detail.  Mine is smaller than most Gazanias, but I wouldn't by any means call it "tiny", that is for sure.  Yours sounds rather interesting.  What I think I can see in your picture rings bells for something other than Gazania, but that just could be because I can't see enough detail to be sure.

[arillady]

Thanks Miriam and Paul,
The name rings a bell.
Well I will go for a walk in the dark and check out the perfume and report back later.
Well the gazania? is not tiny but small. I will have to take more photos another day for more details.
I am just about at the end of my internet billing cycle and just brushing in - that is why the photos are small.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Pat,
To me it looks like the"gazania" maybe the one that was sold in the "supermarket" nurseries as "Gazania Buttons" and is in fact Dymondia margaretae!
The "variegation" is from incurling of the leaf to show the silver underside.
A closer pic might help to be sure.
cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Fermi,
It was a plant from the late Charlie Szarbo "The Green Witch". Just scanned a piece and it does seem to be the

[Paul T]

Thanks for the pics Pat.  Interesting to see that the variegation actually isn't.... amazing how we look at things and never really notice what we're actually seeing.  I do it all the time.    There are actually variegated Gazanias as well, but I think I've only ever seen yellow variegation with yellow flowers (and I bought it when I saw it!  ).

[fermi de Sousa]

That looks like the Dymondia, pat.
Here's a pic of it in flower in our rock garden.

A very useful ground cover for rock ledges but don't expect to stay just at the edges!
cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Fermi,
My small clump has stayed very well behaved as it is a bit of a hard situation where it is growing. Not enough sun.
This forum is SO GOOD for identifying plants - thank you.
Pat