Arctotis L., Sp. pl. 2: 922. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 394. 1754; Harvey, Fl. Capensis 3: 44. 1894; Mahoney, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 19-21: 198.

Annuals or perennials, hirsute to arachnose or woolly. Nearly stemless or caulescent, erect or decumbent. Leaves basal and or cauline, petiolate or sessile; blades mostly spatulate or oblanceolate; margins entire sinuate- dentate or pinnately lobed, abaxial faces tomentose to sparsely arachnose. Capitula peduncled, solitary, radiate. Involucres hemispheric to campanulate, 10-25 mm diameter. Phyllaries in 3-6+ series, distinct, outer small, somewhat leafy, the inner longer, obtuse, margins +/- scarious. Receptacle flat, honey-combed (alveolate), pits margin often ciliate, epaleate. Ray florets pistillate, fertile, staminodes often present. Corollas white, cream, yellow, orange, pink, purple or blue; laminar 4- veined, 3-toothed. Disc florets usually bisexual and fertile, sometimes functionally staminate, innermost mostly abortive. Corollas yellow or brown to purple or violet, 5-toothed. Filaments smooth. Cypselae ovoid to obovoid; abaxial faces +/- rounded, 3-5-ribbed or winged, the lateral wings or ridges inflexed, the medial straight, narrower; adaxial faces flattened; apices sometimes forming callus borders; faces smooth or transversely rugose, glabrous or pilose to sericeous. Copious silky hairs arise from near the base of cypselae in most species. Pappi usually present, persistent, usually of 5-8 ovate to oblong scales in 2 series, sometimes coroniform, sometimes none.

70 species

Arctotis hirsuta Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Geneve, ser. 2,7: 46. 1915; Venidium hirsutum Harv., Fl. Cap. (Harvey) 3: 463. 1865; V. hispidulum DC., Prodr. 6: 493. 1838.

Annual herb, decumbent; plants nearly stemless, when begins to blossom, the stem afterwards lengthen by successive lateral branches and becoming 25-30 cm long or more OR stem erect, branched, up to 10 cm long; branches striate, hollow, densely hairy, hairs multicellular or copiously pubescent or woolly, especially on young parts. Leaves alternate; basal and proximal leaves up to 25 cm x 12 cm, obovate-oblong, pinnately lobed, lyrate, the terminal lobe large, toothed or irregularly sinuate, the lateral lobes small, narrow, oblong, triangular or irregularly shaped; the cauline leaves ear-clasping, upper sessile, simple, entire, small, ovate, ovate-lanceolate or linear; all leaves on both surfaces hirsute. Capitula solitary, terminally on branches, pedunculate; peduncles up to 10-20 cm long, striate, hollow, densely hirsute, hairs white and reddish brown, sometimes with 1 or 2 small leaves (1-3 cm long). Capitula 5-6 cm across, radiate, yellow. Involucres hemispheric to campanulate. Phyllaries in 3-6+ series, free; outer involucral scales usually leafy, in 3 series: outermost small, ca. 5 mm x 1 mm, next inner 2 with 9-12 in number, 10-11 mm x 2-3 mm, oblong, pilose, with reflexed apices; inner involucral scales in 2 series, ca. 20 in number, 8-9 mm x 4-6 mm, erect, ovate to oblong to elliptic, apex and margins +/- scarious. Receptacle flat, ca. 1.8 cm in diam., alveolate (honey-combed), pit margin often ciliate, epaleate. Ray florets: 25+, female, fertile. Corolla tube short, sparsely hairy; corolla limb ca. 19 mm x 6 mm, oblong, 3+ lobed at tip, lobes shallow. Ovary ca. 2 mm long; style 2 mm; stigma bifid, lobes rhomboid. Pappus coroniform, usually with 8 small ovate to quadrate scales. Disc florets: Numerous, bisexual, fertile, inner ones functionally staminate or sterile, ca. 5.5 mm long. Corollas funnelform, yellow; tube funnelform, 2-3 mm long, narrow cylindrical at base, broadened above; lobes 5, 1-1.5 mm long, triangular, dark violet on inner side. Filaments smooth. Ovary 2-2.5 mm long, asymmetrical. Style, stigma and pappus as in ray florets. Cypselae (Achenes) 2-2.5 mm x 1.8-2 mm, obovoid, asymmetrical, tomentulose, abaxial faces rounded, adaxial faces +/-flattened, 3-5-ribbed. Cypselae crowned with a minute appressed 8-crenate pappus.

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