ARCTOTHECA CALENDULA

Family:- COMPOSITAE

Common Name:- Capeweed, Plain treasureflower, Cape dandelion, or Cape

marigold.

Synonym:- Arctotis calendula, Cryptostemma calendulaceum

Meaning:- Arctotheca (Gr) Covered with bear-like hairs.

Calendula (L) First-day-of-the-month.

General description:- Rosette-forming annual with a taproot.

Stems:-

1) Up to 40cm, ± scapose.

Leaves:-

1) 7-20 cm, lyrate-pinnatisect, scabrid-pubescent above, tomentose beneath.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula solitary. 2-6 cm diam.

2) Outer phyllaries, herbaceous, with a small, pinnatisect, ± recurved appendage.

3) Ligules,15-20 mm, pale yellow above (sometimes darker in the lower third),

purplish beneath.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes (2-2.5 mm long) lanate.

2) Pappus a row of 4~8 short scales.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Roadsides, waste areas, bare ground, disturbed sites and natural areas.

Distribution:- Widespread throughout the Mediterranean. Introduced to Crete not

common.

Flowering time:- Dec-Feb

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis

Comments

Arctotheca calendula is regarded as an environmental weed in Australia, its country

of origin. Though it is widely known as a very common weed of habitation (i.e.

gardens and lawns) and agricultural areas (i.e. crops and pastures) in temperate

Australia, it is also increasingly becoming a problem in natural areas (particularly in

coastal environs and in semi-arid and arid regions).