Gazania rigens (L.) Gaertn.

Compositae, G. V. Pope. Flora Zambesiaca 6:1. 1992

Morphology General Habit

A shortly trailing perennial herb from a woody taproot.

Morphology Stem

Stems 1-several, usually decumbent, often ± stoloniferous up to c. 40 cm. long and 4–6 mm. in diam., or suberect to c. 30 cm. tall, simple or branched, ± uniformly leafy, glabrous or ± araneose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves leathery, mostly 3–11(15) x 0.4–2.3 cm., lanceolate or obovate-lanceolate, tapering-attenuate petiole-like below and stem-clasping at the base, mostly simple sometimes pinnatisect with 1–2 lobes on each side, apices acute or subobtuse, margins somewhat revolute, entire; upper surface glabrous or thinly araneose; lower surface whitish felted-tomentose except for the midrib.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula usually solitary and mostly axillary on upper stem and branches; capitula stalks 4–15 cm. long, naked or sometimes bracteate, glabrous or araneose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres 10–15 x 8–15 mm., narrowly campanulate, connate in the lower two-thirds.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries several-seriate and longest towards the inside, free parts 5–10 mm. long, the outer usually strap-shaped and often felted-tomentose outside, the inner triangular and ± attenuate at the apex, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle

Receptacle alveolae walls c. 0.5 mm. high, membranous.

Ray

Rays yellow, ascending-erect, 14–25 mm. long, linear-oblanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Disk-florets numerous; corollas yellow, 5–6 mm. long; achenes 3–5 mm. long, narrowly subfusiform-turbinate, obscurely 10–12-ribbed, densely long-sericeous with the hairs hiding the pappus; pappus 2-seriate of subequal accrescent scale-like setae 2–5 mm. long, the setae developing a somewhat thickened stalk-like base and narrowly hyaline lateral wings which taper into a fine apex, the outer series briefly connate at the base, the inner free. Rays yellow, ascending-erect, 14–25 mm. long, linear-oblanceolate.

Disc

Disk-florets numerous; corollas yellow, 5–6 mm. long; achenes 3–5 mm. long, narrowly subfusiform-turbinate, obscurely 10–12-ribbed, densely long-sericeous with the hairs hiding the pappus; pappus 2-seriate of subequal accrescent scale-like setae 2–5 mm. long, the setae developing a somewhat thickened stalk-like base and narrowly hyaline lateral wings which taper into a fine apex, the outer series briefly connate at the base, the inner free.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.