As a mass spring display, the Skilpad Reserve near Kamieskroon in Namaqualand, must be one of the best in the world. Fields of orange Ursinia cakilefolia cover the ground as far as the eye can see, with waves of flowers moving in the wind and blue, rocky hills floating like islands in an orange sea. This ursinia is easily recognised by the glossy black centre of its daisy flowers, which gives it its beautiful Afrikaans name, glansoogbergmagriet, that literally means glossy-eyed-mountain-daisy.

The annual ursinias germinate with the autumn rains, grow during the cool wet winter, flower in spring and set seed before the long dry summer.

The plants are single-stemmed but bushy, branching at the base and reaching a height of about 45 cm. The leaves are bright green and finely divided, almost like carrot leaves. They feel smooth, soft and slightly succulent, and when crushed smell sweet and fresh. The green stems often turn an attractive dark beetroot red colour. At the tip of each stem is a single daisy. While in bud the long slender stems droop downwards and only straighten as the flowers open. An open flower measures about 5 cm across. The petals of the flowers are bright orange or yellow. The glossy black centre so typical of Ursinia cakilefolia is formed by shiny scales that cover the inner florets.The number of flowers per plant varies from 15 to 20, and depending on how warm it is, each open flower lasts for a number of days before turning into white balls as the seeds form. In the evening the petals fold together closing the flowers for the night.  The seeds look like miniature white paper flowers, and are light in weight, ready to float away on the breeze as they dry, and give the plant its English common name, parachute daisy.