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Habit Shrubs, 10–30+ cm (stems becoming thorns). Annuals, perennials, shrubs, or trees.
Leaves

blades cuneate to clavate, 3–12(–20+) × 1–4+ mm, margins entire or distally toothed [lobed], faces ± arachnose, glabrescent, often ± stipitate-glandular distally.

cauline [rosulate]; usually alternate, sometimes opposite;

petiolate or sessile;

margins usually entire or dentate, sometimes lobed to dissected.

Peduncles

5–15+ mm.

Receptacles

flat to conic, epaleate (sometimes bristly-setose).

Ray florets

5–8(–13+);

corollas yellow to orange, laminae 4–8(–15+) mm.

in 1–2+ series (more in horticultural “doubles”), pistillate, fertile [styliferous and sterile or neuter];

corollas usually yellow to orange and/or cyanic to white (abaxial and adaxial faces often different colors).

Disc florets

12–20+;

corollas yellow to orange, 3–4 mm.

usually functionally staminate, sometimes bisexual and fertile;

corollas yellow, orange, or cyanic (sometimes combinations within corollas), lobes 5, ± deltate (tips sometimes terete or dilated);

anther bases ± tailed, apical appendages ovate to deltate;

styles abaxially papillate (at least near tips), branches sometimes barely discernible (0.5–1 mm), adaxially stigmatic in 2 lines from bases to apices, apices rounded to truncate, appendages penicillate or essentially none.

Phyllaries

5–8(–12+), 4–8 mm (margins and tips often stipitate-glandular).

persistent, in (1–)2(–3) series, distinct [connate], usually ± equal, usually herbaceous (sometimes fleshy), margins and/or apices ± scarious.

Calyculi

0 (peduncular bractlets sometimes intergrade with phyllaries).

Heads

heterogamous (radiate), borne singly or in ± corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

8–10 mm (usually 3-winged).

usually polymorphic within heads (straight, arcuate, contorted, or ± coiled), ± columnar to prismatic, sometimes obcompressed, compressed, or flattened, sometimes ± beaked, bodies usually tuberculate, ridged, and/or winged (usually glabrous; blue-black and drupelike in Chrysanthemoides);

pappi 0 [bristles].

2n

= 20.

Osteospermum spinescens

Asteraceae tribe Calenduleae

Phenology Flowering Mar.
Habitat Disturbed places
Elevation 1800 m (5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; Africa [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
most in Africa; also Atlantic Islands; Europe; and sw Asia; some are widely cultivated and become ± established in local floras [Introduced in North America]
Discussion

As of 2003, Osteospermum spinescens is known in the flora from a single plant that has persisted near Silver City for at least five years.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Genera ca. 8, species 100+ (4 genera, 7 species in the flora).

Plants of Dimorphotheca cuneata (Thunberg) Lessing, a native of southern Africa, have been collected outside cultivation in Arizona (Gila County, ca. 1000 m): subshrubs or shrubs to 100 cm, leaves cuneate to obovate, 1–2(–3)cm, margins dentate to denticulate, faces ± glutinous, phyllaries usually 13, 6–9 mm, ray corollas abaxially bluish to violet, adaxially white, disc cypselae obovate to nearly orbiculate, 10 mm.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Shrubs or trees; cypselae fleshy (drupelike)
Chrysanthemoides
1. Annuals, perennials, or shrubs; cypselae not fleshy (often tuberculate or ridged and/or winged)
→ 2
2. Disc florets bisexual (some or all fertile)
Dimorphotheca
2. Disc florets all functionally staminate
→ 3
3. Cypselae arcuate to ± coiled, abaxially tuberculate, sometimes winged
Calendula
3. Cypselae triquetrous-prismatic to clavate, ± tuberculate and/or winged
Osteospermum
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 383. FNA vol. 19.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Calenduleae > Osteospermum Asteraceae
Sibling taxa
O. ecklonis
Subordinate taxa
Calendula, Chrysanthemoides, Dimorphotheca, Osteospermum
Name authority Thunberg: Prodr. Pl. Cap., 166. (1800) Cassini: J. Phys. Chim. Hist. Nat. Arts 88: 161. (1819)
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