Annual herbs, erect or sprawling, c. 10–35 cm high; branches with sparse to dense stalked-glandular hairs and septate eglandular hairs. Leaves narrowly elliptic, obovate to ovate, often narrowly so, 2–7 cm long, 4–12 mm wide, entire or few-toothed, with stalked glandular hairs. Involucral bracts c. 20–25, in c. 2 rows, narrowly ovate, 6–10 mm long; ray florets c. 10–20 in 1–2 rows, ligules yellow, to c. 10 mm long. Cypselas of usually 3 types, some of the outer ones strongly incurved, c. 10 mm long and with spines on the back, others c. 6 mm long and with incurved wings, the innermost c. 4 mm long, very strongly curved and ridged or tuberculate on the back. Flowers May–Jul.
MuM, VVP, MSB, GipP. Also naturalised SA, Qld, NSW, Tas. Native to Mediterranean area. An occasional weed of crops and disturbed habitats, usually on sandy ground.
Source:
Short, P.S. (1999). Calendula. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 832–833. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
