Shrubby perennial to c. 1 m high and wide; stems, leaves and bracts sparsely to moderately covered with coarse, antrorsely appressed hairs. Leaves c. ovate to elliptic, 1–3 cm long, 5–15 mm wide (including petiole to c. 8 mm long), distantly and shallowly toothed. Capitula solitary on terminal naked peduncles to 18 cm long. Involucral bracts oblanceolate, 5–8 mm long, green with pale margins, sometimes purplish; ray florets mauve to blue, 15–22 mm long, fewer than disc florets. Cypselas narrowly elliptic, 2–3 mm long, minutely whitish-pubescent; pappus c. 5 mm long. Flowers Aug.–Oct.
GGr, HSF. Native to the Cape Province, South Africa. Noted in Victoria as adventive between Halls Gap and Lake Bellfield.
Cultivated plants of Felicia include F. amelloides (L.) Voss and F. amoena (Sch. Bip.) Levyns (distinguishable from F. petiolata by their opposite, entire leaves), as well as a complex series of hybrids probably involving these 2 species and F. petiolata.
Source:
Walsh, N.G. (1999). Felicia. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 833–834. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
