Dimorphotheca sinuata DC.   Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)   South Africa   Cape Marigold      African Daisy

                                          March Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Glandular-hairy annual; stems 10-30-cm., simple or sparingly branched from base; lvs. less than 10 cm., lower tapered to petiole-like base, upper sessile, blade oblong to oblanceolate, entire to coarsely dentate, upper smaller, sometimes linear; infl. heads 3-7 cm. in  diam.; invol. +/- bell-shaped;  phyllaries in one series, 10-15 mm., linear-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowly scarious-margined, receptacle flat or nearly so, naked; ray fls. 2-2.5 cm. orange to yellow, sometimes violet at base or tip; disk fls. many, corollas 4.5-5.5 mm., yellow or orange, often purple-tipped, with very short tube and long throat; anthers with ovate or triangular-ovate tips, sagittate at base, short tailed; style branches very short appendages widely obtuse; ray achenes 3-angled with knobby tubercles, 4-5 mm.; disk achenes smooth, obovate, flattened, winged, 6-7 mm., pappus 0.

Habitat:  Uncommon, escape from cultivation on roadsides, disturbed area places, sometimes sown in wildflower mixes. Below 1000 M., San Joaquin Valley, South Coast Ranges, South Coast, Peninsular Ranges.  Bloom period not listed, but it is spring locally.

Name:  Greek, Dimorphotheca, two forms of fruits.  (Hickman, Ed. 246).  Latin, sinuose, bent, curved.  (Jaeger 239).  Probably referring to the sometimes dentate lvs.  (my comment).

General:  This plant was moderately common near Irvine Ave. on one of the small canyon slopes located between 23rd. St. and Delhi. The area was reseeded after grading, probably by hydromulching.   Also found  once on the Santa Ana Heights flats where there does not appear to have been grading or disturbance of the ground.  The plant was first found in 1985 and for several years it prospered along with Trifolium hirtum which had also been hydromulched into the area.  In 1992, the T. hirtum was still evident but I found no D. sinuata; in 1993, I found only one plant.  The reasons this species has not persisted are not known, although I suspect that lack of water reduced the seed populations each year until there were no viable seeds remaining.  (my comments).      Sometimes sown in wildflower mixes.  About 7 species.  (Hickman Ed. 246).      For several years this plant was identified as Osteospermum amplectans.  The original identification was by Fred Roberts who felt at the time that it could be Dimorphotheca.  I looked for fresh material for several years and finally used my dried specimens and a fresh specimen from the 55 freeway near 22nd. St. in Costa mesa to key out Dimorphotheca.  (my comments).

Text Ref:  Hickman Ed. 246; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 156.

Photo Ref:  Mar 3 85 # 2; Feb-Mar 86 # 20,22,23,24.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.  

First Found:  May 1985.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 320.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 7/30/05.  

                                March Photo                                                                 March Photo