Arctotis venusta is a species of South African plants in the family Asteraceae. Common names include silver arctotis, kusgousblom, and blue-eyed African daisy. It is native to South Africa (Cape Provinces, Free State, and Northern Provinces), Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.[1] The species is widely cultivated as an ornamental, and has become naturalized in parts of the United States (California, Arizona, South Carolina),[2][3] Australia,[4] and Central and South America,[5] where it has escaped from gardens to become a noxious weed.[6]
| Arctotis venusta | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Arctotis |
| Species: | A. venusta
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| Binomial name | |
| Arctotis venusta Norl. (1965)
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Arctotis venusta is grown as a ground cover because of its silvery foliage and showy flower heads. It is adaptable to many conditions and is sometimes used to control erosion. It is a perennial with stout, woolly stems and aromatic, violin-shaped, heavily lobed leaves. The flower heads have many creamy-white to pink or bronze ray florets with lavender to reddish undersides and centers filled with purple disc florets. The fruit is a hard achene with a tuft of plumelike hairs on one end and an array of pappus scales on the other.[7]
The species is sometimes regarded as the same species as the rare A. stoechadifolia, but authors separate the two as distinct species.[7][2][6]
References
edit- ^ Arctotis venusta Norl. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ a b Calflora taxon report, Arctotis venusta Norl., Blue-eyed african daisy
- ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
- ^ Atlas of Living Australia, Arctotis stoechadifolia P.J.Bergius, White Arctotis
- ^ Davidse, G., M. Sousa-Peña, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2015. Asteraceae. 5(2): ined. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F.
- ^ a b Norlindh, Nils Tycho 1965. Botaniska Notiser 118(4): 406–411
- ^ a b Flora of North America Arctotis stoechadifolia
External links
edit- Jepson Manual Treatment
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
- African Plants Profile
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