Gazania rigens
(L.) Gaertn. Coast GazaniaCreeping perennial herb to 30 cm high; stems branched, rooting at nodes. Leaves basal, elliptic to narrow-oblanceolate in outline, 4–12 cm long, 5–17 mm wide, usually entire, sometimes with 1 or 2 pairs of lobes, upper surface green and glabrous to scabrous, lower surface white-tomentose, apex obtuse to acute, base petiole-like, sheathing below, margins recurved to revolute. Capitula 3.5–6 cm diam.; involucral bracts 1.4–2 cm long, connate for c. half their length, smooth; ligules 3–5 cm long, bright orange to deep yellow, usually with a black base marked with a white spot but sometimes wholly yellow or orange, darker at the base; disc florets orange. Cypselas c. 4 mm long, silky-villous with hairs hiding the pappus; pappus scales linear-lanceolate, to c. 5 mm long, acuminate. Flowers most of the year (mainly spring and summer).
Wim, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, EGL, OtR. Also naturalised SA, NSW. Native to South Africa. Occasionally naturalised as a garden-escape in disturbed areas, mostly near habitations or on coastal dunes.
See note after G. linearis.
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Asteraceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 652–666. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
