The genus name Othonna is probably from the Greek word, othonne, for linen or cloth, referring to the soft leaves of some species (Jackson 1990). This species was named by De Candolle, in 1838, for the resemblance of its leaves to those of the genus Cakile, commonly called sea rocket (Rowley 1979).

The genus Othonna L. comprises ± 90 species excluding the recently segregated genus Crassothonna B.Nord. (Leistner 2001, Nordenstam 2007, 2012, Manning & Goldblatt 2012, Glavich 2016, Magoswana et al. 2019). Species of Othonna are succulent or sub-succulent perennial herbs or shrubs with more or less dorsiventrally flattened leaves, radiate or disciform capitula with female-sterile disc florets and female marginal florets, with a beige or reddish pappus that is sometimes accrescent (Leistner 2001, Manning & Goldblatt 2012, Nordenstam 2012, Glavich 2016, Magoswana et al. 2016, 2019). The genus is recognized by the presence of undivided (or minutely bifid) styles in disc florets (Nordenstam 2012, Magoswana et al. 2019).

Othonna cakilefolia, O. lilacina and O. rosea are the only species in the genus with pink to magenta ray florets. They are distinguished by leaf shape and number of involucral bracts. O. cakilefolia with trisect to pinnatisect leaves, with narrow, obtuse lobes, and 10 to 12 involucral bracts. In the last-named 2 species, the leaves are entire or variously toothed to pinnatisect (Manning & Goldblatt 2010, Magoswana et al. 2019).