This bright, ground-hugging little annual forms patches of brilliant, almost iridescent colour in spring. The name Dorotheanthus was given by Dr Martin Heinrich Schwantes in honour of his mother Dorothea. The genus Dorotheanthus has 6 species in South Africa with 2 of them occurring in Namaqualand. The family Mesembryanthemaceae consists of all the vygies” and has 124 genera.

The Bokbaaivygie grows mostly in the flat, sandy plains near the sea on the Cape Peninsula and up the west coast especially near Ysterfontein and Darling. These plants can be found from Namaqualand to Stilbaai in the Western Cape. They are drought resistant and are profuse flowering plants. The Bokbaaivygie grows up to 25 cm high and spreads 10 cm. It is a very attractive succulent annual with shiny colourful flowers. Bokbaaivygies have flat leaves that spread slightly as the plants grow older. The leaves are small, green in colour and covered with shiny dots. The flowers are single and may reach up to 5 cm across. They vary in colour from white to pink and shades of orange and yellow. Flowering is from August to mid October. The fruits are dry, soft and have 5 valves that open when it is wet to distribute the seeds.