I’ve read that Copper Plant gets its name because it is considered to indicate the presence of copper in the rocks below. On all occasions that I’ve seen it, it has been growing of exposed sheets of granite, seemingly on bare rock but probably with its roots in crevices so small they’re scarcely apparent. Although its flowers are papery like everlastings, the leaves seem much too delicate for such a harsh environment.
Polycarpaea is in the family Caryophyllaceae.