''Osteospermum'' , is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s belonging to the
Calenduleae
Calenduleae is a flowering plant tribe of the family Asteraceae. Calenduleae has been widely recognized since Alexandre de Cassini in the early 19th century. There are eight genera and over 110 species, mostly found in South Africa.
It is a rela ...
, one of the smaller
tribes
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
of the sunflower/daisy
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Asteraceae.
They are known as the daisybushes or African daisies.
''Osteospermum'' used to belong to the genus ''
Dimorphotheca
''Dimorphotheca'' is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Africa. is one of eight genera of the Calenduleae, with a centre of diversity in Southern Africa. Some species can hybridize with '' Osteospermum'', and crosses are sold ...
'', but only the
annual
Annual may refer to:
*Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
** Yearbook
** Literary annual
*Annual plant
*Annual report
*Annual giving
*Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
*Annuals (band), ...
species remain in that genus; the
perennials
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...
belong to ''Osteospermum''. The genus ''Osteospermum'' is also closely related to the small genus ''Chrysanthemoides'', such as ''C. incana'' and ''
C. monilifera''.
Names
The scientific name is derived from the Greek ''osteon'' (bone) and Latin ''spermum'' (seed). It has been given several common names: African daisy, South African daisy, Cape daisy and blue-eyed daisy.
Description
Their alternate (rarely
opposite)
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are green, but some variegated forms exist. The leaf form is lanceolate. The leaf margin is entire, but hardy types are toothed.
The daisy-like
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
flower consists of disc florets and ray florets, growing singly at the end of branches or sometimes in inflorescences of terminal corymbose cymes. The disc florets are pseudo-bisexual and come in several colors such as blue, yellow and purple. The hardy types usually show a dark blue center in the disc until the yellow pollen is shed. The ray florets are female and are found diverse colors such as white, cream, pink, purple, mauve to yellow. Some
cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
s have "spooned" petals such as "Pink Whirls". Many species flower a second time late summer, stimulated by the cooler night temperatures. Hardy types show profuse flowering in the spring, but they do not get a second flush of flowers.
Species
* ''
Osteospermum acanthospermum''
* ''
Osteospermum amplectens
''Osteospermum'' , is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower/daisy family Asteraceae. They are known as the daisybushes or African daisies.
''Osteospermum'' used to belong to the gen ...
''
* ''
Osteospermum attenuatum''
* ''
Osteospermum australe''
* ''
Osteospermum barberiae''
* ''
Osteospermum breviradiatum'' — Lemoenboegoe
* ''
Osteospermum burttianum''
* ''
Osteospermum calendulaceum'' — Stinking Roger (synonym of ''Oligocarpus calendulaceus'')
* ''
Osteospermum caulescens''
* ''
Osteospermum clandestinum'' — (synonym of ''Tripteris clandestina'')
* ''
Osteospermum dentatum''
* ''
Osteospermum ecklonis'' — Cape marguerite, blue-and-white daisybush
* ''
Osteospermum fruticosum'' — Trailing African daisy, shrubby daisybush
* ''
Osteospermum grandidentatum
''Osteospermum'' , is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller Tribe (biology), tribes of the sunflower/daisy family (biology), family Asteraceae. They are known as the daisybushes or African daisies.
''Osteos ...
'' — Yellow trailing daisy
* ''
Osteospermum grandiflorum
''Osteospermum'' , is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower/daisy family Asteraceae. They are known as the daisybushes or African daisies.
''Osteospermum'' used to belong to the gen ...
''
* ''
Osteospermum hyoseroides
''Osteospermum'' , is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower/daisy family Asteraceae. They are known as the daisybushes or African daisies.
''Osteospermum'' used to belong to the gen ...
''
* ''
Osteospermum imbricatum''
* ''Osteospermum jucundum'' — South African daisy (now a synonym of ''
Dimorphotheca jucunda'' )
* ''
Osteospermum microphyllum''
* ''
Osteospermum monocephalum''
* ''
Osteospermum muricatum''
* ''
Osteospermum oppositifolium'' — (synonym of ''Tripteris oppositifolia'')
* ''
Osteospermum pinnatum''
* ''
Osteospermum polygaloides''
* ''
Osteospermum potbergense
''Osteospermum'' , is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower/daisy family Asteraceae. They are known as the daisybushes or African daisies.
''Osteospermum'' used to belong to the genu ...
''
* ''
Osteospermum rigidum''
* ''
Osteospermum rotundifolium''
* ''
Osteospermum sinuatum'' — (synonym of ''Tripteris sinuata'')
* ''
Osteospermum spinescens''
* ''
Osteospermum subulatum''
* ''
Osteospermum tomentosum''
* ''
Osteospermum triquetrum''
* ''
Osteospermum vaillantii''
A
phylogenetic
In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...
study has revealed that several changes had to be made to this genus:
* Osteospermum section Blaxium belongs in the genus ''Dimorphotheca''
* the subgenus ''Tripteris'' had to be separated from ''Osteospermum''
* the genus ''Oligocarpus'' has to be separated from ''Osteospermum''
* ''Osteospermum sanctae-helenae'', endemic to St. Helena, belongs to ''Oligocarpus''.
New species are still being discovered, such as ''O. australe'', ''O. burttianum'' and ''O. potbergense''.
Distribution
There are about 70 species native to southern and eastern Africa and the Arabian peninsula.
Cultivation
''Osteospermum'' are popular in cultivation, where they are frequently used in
summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. Numerous
hybrids and cultivars have been grown with a wide range of tropical colors. Yellow cultivars tend to have a yellow center (sometimes off-white).
Plants prefer a warm and sunny position and rich soil, although they tolerate poor soil, salt or drought well. Modern cultivars flower continuously when watered and fertilised well, and dead-heading is not necessary, because they do not set seed easily.
If planted in a container, soil should be prevented from drying out completely. If they do, the plants will go into "sleep mode" and survive the period of drought, but they will abort their flower buds and not easily come back into flower. Moreover, roots are relatively susceptible to rotting if watered too profusely after the dry period.
Cultivars
Most widely sold cultivars are grown as annuals, are mainly hybrids of ''O. jucundum'', ''O. ecklonis'' and ''O. grandiflorum'' and can be hardy to -2 °C (30 °F). If hardy, they can be grown as perennials or as shrubs.
Cultivars (those marked have gained the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
's
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
):
*'Acapulco'
*'African Queen'
*'Apricot'
*'Biera'
*'Big Pink'
*‘Blackthorn Seedling’
*'Bodegas Pink'
*'Buttermilk'
*'Chris Brickell'
*'Duet'
*'Giles Gilbey'
*'Hopleys’
*'Ice White'
*'Langtrees
*’Lady Leitrim’
*'Lilac Spoon'
*'Marbella'
*'Merriments Joy'
*'Nairobi Purple'
*''O. jucundum''
*'Passion Mix'
*'Pink'
*'Pink Beauty'
*'Pink Whirls'
*'Silver Sparkler'
*'Soprano'
*'Starshine'
*'Springstar Gemma'
*'Sunkist'
*'Weetwood'
*'White Pim'
*'White Spoon'
*'White Whirls'
*'Whirlygig'
Image gallery
Image:R10 kamera 086be.jpg, '' Osteospermum barberiae''
Image:Osteospermum barberiae CapeDaisy.jpg, '' Osteospermum barberiae'' (Cape daisy)
Image:Osteospermum tomentosum - Bonnievale renosterveld 2.jpg, '' Osteospermum tomentosum''
Image:Purple osteospermum.JPG, 'Passion Mix'
Image:P1010020-a.jpg, 'Lemon Symphony' (an annual cultivar)
Image:Sunadora_marbella2.jpg, ''Osteospermum'' 'Sunadora Hotspots Marbella', a modern hybrid
Image:Sunadora_acapulco.jpg, ''Osteospermum'' 'Sunadora Hotspots Acapulco', another modern hybrid
Image:Osteospermum Flower Power Spider Purple 2134px.jpg, An osteospermum displayed as part of the 2008 Penn State horticultural trials
Image:African daisy (Osteospermum sp. 'Pink Whirls').jpg, ''Osteospermum'' 'Pink Whirls'
Image:Osteospermum.Pink Whirls04.jpg, 'Pink Whirls' close-up
File:Osteospermum in palestine 2.jpg
File:Osteospermum in palestine 1.jpg
File:Osteospermum in palestine.jpg
File:Pink flower 095549.jpg
File:African Cape Daisy (Osteospermum barberiae).jpg, White Cape Daisy (''Osteospermum barberiae'')
File:Osteospermum flower 2.jpg, Osteospermum Cape Daisy 'Pink bicolor'
File:Osteospermum flower.jpg, Osteospermum Sunset shades
References
Further reading
* Bussmann, R. W., et al. (2006)
Plant use of the Maasai of Sekenani Valley, Maasai Mara, Kenya.''J Ethnobiol Ethnomed'' 2 22.
* Nordenstam, B., and Bremer, Kare (editor). "Tribe Calenduleae" in: ''Asteraceae: Cladistics and Classification''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1994. . Pp. 365–376.
External links
*
ttp://www.osteospermum.com Osteospermum.com - a website with much information and many photographs Sunadora Osteospermums
{{Taxonbar, from=Q942384
Calenduleae
Asteraceae genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus