Dimorphotheca ecklonis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Dimorphotheca |
Species: | D. ecklonis |
Binomial name | |
Dimorphotheca ecklonis | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Dimorphotheca ecklonis, also known as Cape marguerite, African daisy, Van Staden's river daisy, Sundays river daisy, white daisy bush, blue-and-white daisy bush, or star of the veldt, is a perennial [2] ornamental plant that is native to South Africa. They are part of Asteraceae family. [3] They are common gardening plants due to the array of colors the come in, including yellow, orange, purple, white and pink. [4] They are cultivated in suitable climates as ornamental plants, but are native to South Africa. [4] They are now regarded as an invasive plant in parts of Australia, particularly Victoria and Western Australia. [5]
They are an evergreen, perennial dwarf shrub with the stature heights of 20 to 60 centimeters (7.9 to 23.6 in). [4] The leaves measure 5 to 10 × 1 to 4 inches (127 to 254 by 25 to 102 mm) and are glandular fluffy, sessile, elliptical, slightly succulent, narrow obovate and entire or serrated. The heads are on 15 to 20 centimeters (5.9 to 7.9 in) long stems and have a diameter of 5 to 8 centimeters (2.0 to 3.1 in). The bracts are 13 to 16 millimeters (0.51 to 0.63 in) long and glandular. The rays are white above and reddish blue below. The disc is dark blue or purple. The fruit surface is net-wrinkled. [6]
The flowering period is from April to September in the northern hemisphere. The plant is said to contain hydrocyanic acid, making it poisonous to livestock. [7]
They are useful model organism for experiments because of traits like ability to grow quickly and all year round. They can also be used as UV indicators because they're phototropic and sensitive to radiation. [8] [9]
When found naturally the plants can be seen growing at the base of cliffs or on steep hills. [10] They are native to the Eastern Cape in Uitenhage and Humansdorp, in South Africa, and is found on wet grass and in river beds at altitudes up to 300 meters (980 ft). They prefer subtropic biomes but has been introduced into the Azores, California, Mauritius, New South Wales, Queensland, Réunion, Spain, Tunisia, Victoria, and Western Australia. [11] They have become popular in Europe in places like Sicily, Italy. [12]
They can be grown as perennial but based on the temperature swings of the climate it can be annual. [13] Based on the climate they tend to bloom late spring to summer, after rain and when the weather is hotter. [14] [4]
Currently, They are widely used as an ornamental plant in pots and beddings. [15] In places like Australia where they have become invasive, the white colored flowers are ground cover plants. [16] They are cultivated once a year. There are numerous hybrids and varieties, including upright, up to 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) high and half-low. This species has been in culture since about 1920. It thrives best in full sun, in poor, sandy soil.
Germination
The seeds tend to germinate in 15–20 days and prefer light watering and fertilizing. [4] It is suggested that seeds are planted 6–10 inches (150–250 mm) from one another. [4] [14] For the best development of seeds put them in a area with maximal light. [10] They will grow best in cooler temperatures. [4] [17]
Osteospermum, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower/daisy family Asteraceae. They are known as the daisybushes or African daisies. Its species have been given several common names, including African daisy, South African daisy, Cape daisy and blue-eyed daisy.
Gerbera jamesonii is a species of flowering plant in the genus Gerbera belonging to the basal Mutisieae tribe within the large Asteraceae family. It is indigenous to South Eastern Africa and commonly known as the Barberton daisy, the Transvaal daisy, and as Barbertonse madeliefie or Rooigousblom in Afrikaans. It was the first species of Gerbera to be the subject of a scientific description, studied by J. D. Hooker in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1889.
Roridula is a genus of evergreen, insect-trapping shrubs, with two species, of about 1⅓–2 m. It is the only genus in the family Roridulaceae. It has thin, woody, shyly branching, upright, initially brown, later grey stems, with lance- to awl-shaped leaves crowded at their tips. The star-symmetrical flowers consist from the outside in of five, green or reddish, free sepals, alternating with five white, pink or purple, free petals. Further to the middle and opposite the sepals are five stamens with the anthers initially kinked down. These suddenly flip up if the nectar-containing swelling at its base is being touched. The center of the flower is occupied by a superior ovary. The leaves and sepals carry many sticky tentacles of different sizes, that trap insects. Roridula does not break down the insect proteins, but bugs of the genus Pameridea prey on the trapped insects. These later deposit their feces on the leaves, which take up nutrients from the droppings. The species can be found in the Western Cape province of South Africa. They are commonly known as dewstick or fly bush in English and vlieëbos or vlieëbossie in Afrikaans.
Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant.
Arctotheca calendula is a plant in the sunflower family commonly known as capeweed, plain treasureflower, cape dandelion, or cape marigold because it originates from the Western Cape Province in South Africa. It is also found in neighboring KwaZulu-Natal.
Osteospermum moniliferum is an evergreen flowering shrub or small tree in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is native to southern Africa, ranging through South Africa and Lesotho to Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Thunbergia alata, commonly called black-eyed Susan vine, is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant species in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world.
Dimorphotheca sinuata, the glandular Cape marigold, Namaqualand daisy, or orange Namaqualand daisy; syn. Dimorphotheca aurantiaca hort.) is a species of plant native to southern Africa. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental and naturalized in parts of the United States, primarily California and Arizona.
Calenduleae is a flowering plant tribe of the family Asteraceae. Calenduleae has been widely recognized since Alexandre de Cassini in the early 19th century. There are eight genera and over 110 species, mostly found in South Africa.
Dimorphotheca is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae, native to southern Africa. is one of eight genera of the Calenduleae, with a centre of diversity in Southern Africa. Species are native to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Some species can hybridize with Osteospermum, and crosses are sold as cultivated ornamentals. The name "Dimorphotheca" comes from the Greek "Dis" "Morphe" and "Theka", meaning "two shaped receptacle", referring to the dimorphic cypselae, a trait inherent to members of the Calenduleae. Plants of this genus usually have bisexual flowers.
Felicia amelloides, the blue daisy bush or blue felicia, is a hairy, soft, usually perennial, evergreen plant, in the family Asteraceae. It can be found along the southern coast of South Africa. It grows as ground cover and produces many very regular branches. It mostly grows to about 50 cm (1.6 ft) high, rarely to 1 m. The leaves are oppositely arranged along the stems, dark green in colour and elliptic in shape. The flower heads sit individually on up to 18 cm (7 in) long, green to dark reddish stalks. They consist of about twelve heavenly blue ray florets that surround many yellow disc florets, together measuring about 3 cm across. It is also cultivated as an ornamental, and was introduced in Europe in the middle of the 18th century.
Felicia aethiopica is a low shrublet of up to about 50 cm high that is assigned to the family Asteraceae. It has rigid, leathery, inverted egg-shaped leaves, with only the lowest pair set oppositely. It has flower heads with an involucre of about 8 mm in diameter with bracts that each contain three resin ducts, and have one whorl of twelve to fourteen ray florets with about 11 mm long and 1½ mm wide blue straps surrounding many yellow disc florets. The plant is called wild aster or dwarf Felicia in English, and wilde-aster or bloublombossie in Afrikaans. Flowering occurs year-round. Wild aster can be found in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.
Grewia occidentalis, the crossberry, is a species of deciduous tree, indigenous to Southern Africa.
Sparaxis bulbifera, commonly known as harlequin flower, is a bulb-forming perennial plant. The species is native to Cape Province in South Africa and naturalised in the Azores and Australia. It grows to between 15 and 60 cm high and has white to cream flowers. This flower is often found growing next to Geissorhiza radians. Ut has branched stems, lanceolate leaves. It is one of the few species native to sandy, waterlogged soils.
Cleretum bellidiforme, commonly called Livingstone daisy, Bokbaaivygie (Afrikaans), or Buck Bay vygie, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. It is a low-growing succulent annual growing to 25 cm (10 in), and cultivated for its iridescent, many-petalled, daisy-like blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, cream, pink and crimson. In temperate areas it is popularly grown as a half-hardy annual, and lends itself to mass plantings or as edging plants in summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. It is still widely referenced under its former names, Mesembryanthemum criniflorum and Dorotheanthus bellidiformis.
Dimorphotheca pluvialis, common names white African daisy, Cape marigold, weather prophet, Cape rain-daisy, ox-eye daisy, Cape daisy or rain daisy, is a plant species native to South Africa and Namibia. It is sparingly naturalized in scattered locations in California.
Felicia heterophylla is a roughly hairy annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It has alternate leaves of 1–5 cm long with an entire margin or few inconspicuous teeth. The flower heads are set individually at the tip of its stems, and contain a whorl of purplish blue ray florets around a center of blackish blue disk florets. Flower heads appear in winter and spring. It is called true-blue daisy in English and bloublomastertjie in Afrikaans. It is an endemic species that only occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Felicia elongata is a perennial plant of up to 40 cm high that is assigned to the family Asteraceae. It has stiff, oval, opposing leaves with one distinctive vein and entire margin. The 5 cm (2 in) wide flower heads are very conspicuous in colour, white with a dark purple zone at the base of the ray florets and an orange-yellow disc. Flowering occurs from late August to September, or if the rains arrive late, sometimes October. It is a rare species that is restricted to the Saldanha Bay area. It is sometimes called Saldanha felicia or tricolour felicia in English, and driekleurblommetjie in Afrikaans.
Onocosiphon suffruticosus, commonly known as the shrubby mayweed, is a flowering plant native to Namibia and the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. Additionally, it can now be found in France, Australia, and the USA.
Protea lacticolor or the Hottentot sugarbush, Hottentot white sugarbush or Hottentot's Holland sugarbush, is a flowering shrub of the Protea genus. It is also known as the Hottentotwitsukkerbos. The plant is endemic to South Africa and is found from the Slanghoek to the Hottentots Holland Mountains and also the Groenlandberg.
Media related to Dimorphotheca ecklonis at Wikimedia Commons