The plants grow firmly rooted in crevices and on ledges, in a habitat with shallow and limited soil, and without competition from aggressively growing large grasses, perennials and shrubs. The succulent leaves enable the plant to withstand periods of drought. The large pointed papillae that are densely packed on leaves and stems, both store moisture and assist with trapping dew and fog. Fog regularly occurs on the upper part of the Soutpansberg during summer, providing additional moisture. The plant is a rapid grower from a central rootstock, the rapidly growing flowering branches die back during the dry winter months, but the central portion remains intact, sprouting again in spring. The younger juvenile leaves are shorter, ovate lanceolate and often becoming purplish. The betanin pigment helps with a slow down on photosynthesis during the dry period.

Fig. 6. A Delosperma zoutpansbergense plant growing among Crassula swaziensis. The plant is still in its juvenile compact phase. Note the remains of previous seasons flowers and fruits.

The plants are floriferous, flowering in profusion and are pollinated by bees and other small insects. The seed is retained in the hygrochastical capsules. It is only released during rain periods when the expanding keels of the capsule force open the cell lids and the seeds are splashed out from the capsule by the falling raindrops and dispersed. Delosperma fruiting capsules do not have covering membranes as found in many other mesembs (hence the genus name delos meaning ‘naked’, and sperma meaning ‘seed’. However upon drying, the cell lids are closed again contracting the keels and conserving the seed until the next rain shower.

Fig. 7. Delosperma zoutpansbergense drooping from a cliff at Hanglip, Soutpansberg, growing with a species of moss, a good indicator of the high rainfall and regular fog.