Dimorphotheca is a southern African genus, belonging to the family Asteraceae, and is found in South Africa (Western and Northern Cape) and Namibia. It consists of 15 species. The genus name Dimorpotheca means fruits with two forms and is derived from Greek dis, meaning two, morphe, shape or form and theka, a fruit, referring to the different kinds of seeds produced by the ray and the disc florets in some species, where the fruits formed by the ray florets are wingless and stick-like and the fruits formed by the disc florets are flattened and 2-winged.

Dimorphotheca acutifolia, commonly known as Pointed Rain Daisy and synonymously known as Calendula scabra, Dimorphotheca scabra, Dimorphotheca tragus, Osteospermum acutifolium and Osteospermum pulchrum, is a South African endemic flowering perennial found in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces. Dimorphotheca acutifolia grows into a suberect/sprawling shrublet of 20-30cm tall. During spring it produces eye-catching white flowers with purple centres and the underside of the petals are also purple. This is a very showy plant.