This small leafy mesemb was found sprawling on Table Mountain in November without flowers to contribute to its identification. It nestled in a crevice of the sandstone rocks, clearly pleased with living conditions. The grey-green leaf pairs have mottled surfaces and reddish tips. The sharp leaf keels making the leaves triangular in cross-section curve inwards, rounded below like little boats, suggesting Lampranthus emarginatus.

There is, however, also Erepsia anceps with leaf tips curving slightly outwards. The mottling, red tips and greyish leaf colour are similar in the two species. Both species may either sprawl or be erect and grow pink daisy-like flowers.

The Lampranthus flower would close at night, the Erepsia one remaining open as long as the flower lasts, earning it the common name of altydvygie (Afrikaans for everlasting mesemb).

Both Lampranthus and Erepsia are large genera with many lookalikes, also in the area. The last word is seldom spoken in these speculations about identity.

For company this plant has a small Crassula coccinea sharing the lodgings. Betting people might favour the mesemb to flower first (Clarke and Mackenzie, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iSpot).