Osteospermum

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 923. 1753.

,

Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 395. 1754.

Etymology: Greek osteon, bone, and sperma, seed, alluding to hard fruits of original species
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 382. Mentioned on page 30, 379.

Perennials, subshrubs, or shrubs [annuals], 5–150+ cm. Stems procumbent to erect [prostrate], glabrous or arachnose to piloso-hirtellous and/or stipitate-glandular. Leaves sessile or petiolate; blades orbiculate, elliptic, or oblong to oblanceolate, lanceolate, or linear, margins entire or denticulate [pinnately lobed], faces glabrous or sparsely arachnose and/or stipitate-glandular, often glabrate. Heads borne singly [in corymbiform to umbelliform arrays]. Involucres campanulate to hemispheric or broader, 5–20+ mm diam. Phyllaries 5–21+ in 1–2(–3+) series, lanceolate to lance-linear (apices ± attenuate). Receptacles flat to conic. Ray florets 10–21+ in ± 1 series; corollas whitish to purplish or yellow to orange, laminae ± oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate. Disc florets 12–50+, functionally staminate; corollas yellow or purplish, tubes shorter than the ± campanulate throats. Cypselae triquetrous-prismatic to clavate, often ± tuberculate or ridged and/or winged. x = 10.

Distribution

Introduced; Africa, widely cultivated, sometimes escaping and/or persisting.

Discussion

Species ca. 75 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Leaf blades obovate or oblong to oblanceolate, 30–50(–100+) × 0–20(–40+) mm; ray corollas purplish to whitish Osteospermum ecklonis
1 Leaf blades cuneate to clavate, 3–12(–20+) × 1–4+ mm; ray corollas yellow to orange. Osteospermum spinescens
... more about "Osteospermum"
John L. Strother +
Linnaeus +
Africa +, widely cultivated +  and sometimes escaping and/or persisting. +
Greek osteon, bone, and sperma, seed, alluding to hard fruits of original species +
Sp. Pl. +  and Gen. Pl. ed. +
1753 +  and 1754 +
Compositae +
Osteospermum +
Asteraceae tribe Calenduleae +