Phil Bendle Collection:Gazania linearis (Striped Treasure flower)

Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Gazania
Species: G. linearis
Binomial name: Gazania linearis
Common name: Treasure flower.

Gazania linearis is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family...
Gazania linearis is divided into two varieties: G. linearisvar. linearis and G. linearis var. ovalis. Gazania linearisvar. ovalis has broader leaves that are lanceolate (spear-shaped) to elliptic (broadest at the middle with two equally rounded ends) and up to 25 mm wide. Both varieties are from the same regions of South Africa. It is native range is restricted to the summer rainfall area of South Africa, occurring from Humansdorp, just west of Port Elizabeth, north to KwaZulu-Natal. It has been in cultivation since the 19th century, but it is now an invasive plant in some parts of the world with similar climates. It has become naturalised in Australia, New Zealand and California. 
In New Zealand, it is listed as an environmental weed. It grows in areas of dry coastal vegetation, lowland grassland and grassy woodland. It can dominate light, sandy soils, including beach sands, where it replaces native plants. Despite this species being an invasive import, it mat-forming habit stabilises beachfront dunes.

Gazania linearis is a mat-forming or clumping perennial herb growing from a single taproot. Its leaves have long, winged petioles and form basal rosettes at the ground around the branching stem.
This low growing herb has long, narrow leaves that are dark green above and whitish below. 
The plant produces large, solitary daisy-like flowers in shades of bright yellow and orange. Each flower head may be up to 8 centimetres across and has a dark reddish centre of disc florets and an outer fringe of about 20 long ray florets. The ray florets have dark spots near the bases, curl upwards along their edges, and close at night. It flowers most of the year, mainly spring to autumn. The flowers are sticky to the touch.
It reproduces by seed which is dispersed by wind, water or soil movement. It can also reproduce vegetatively. 
The seed is a tiny achene covered in very long hairs several times the length of the fruit body.

A yellow form.[1]

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The orange flower form.growing on sand dunes.
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The petals of this species curl upwards along their edges. The flowers close at night.
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Plants at the New Plymouth port
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Opening flowers.
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The underside of the leaf with its glaucous white coating.
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The tiny seeds with very long hairs attached to aid wind distribution.[12]

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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