*Arctotheca calendula

Family Asteraceae

Capeweed

Annual herb to 30 cm high. Longevity less than 1 year.

Flowers: Pale yellow, green or purple centre, September – November. Probably bee pollinated *Apis mellifera.

Fruit: Achene 2 mm long with pappus of short scales.

Seed:

Gallery images: seed, seedling, rootstock, resprout

Ecology

• Native of South Africa.
• Grassland habitat.
• Uncommon and minor weed in woodland at the Australian Botanic Garden.
• Flowers reported to be eaten by Galah Cacatua roseicapilla, roots eaten by Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita, flowers, seed, leaf midrib eaten by Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans.

Asterisk * indicates exotic species naturalised at the Australian Botanic Garden.