Gazania rigens var. leucolaena (DC.) Roessler   Asteraceae                                                             Sunflower Family                                                                                                              South Africa               Gazania

                                        April Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Rhizomatous perennial, stems decumbent, to 16 in. long, glabrous or hairy; lvs. lanceolate or obovate-lanceolate to +/- 3.25 in. long, entire or sometimes pinnatifid, green and glabrous above, white-tomentose beneath; heads to +/- 3 in. across, on peduncles 4-6 in long; ray fls. yellow.

Habitat:  Escape from cultivation.  The Sunset New Western Garden Book 1984 edition, indicates that Gazania is perennial in all but the deserts and high altitude montane areas where they are annuals.  The plants on the bluff below Eastbluff North are drying up and at this date, late May, they are gone from some areas, probably to reappear from rootstock with the first rains.  (my comments).

Name:  Gaza-nia after Theodore of Gaza.  1398-1478, translator of Aristotle and Theophrastus.  (Bailey 1012).  Latin, rigens, stiffening, becoming rigid.  (Jaeger 223).  Possibly referring to the long, erect peduncles.  (my comment).  Greek, leukos, white, bright, light. (Jaeger 140).   Latin, laena, a cloak, cloaked.  (Jaeger 135).  Leucolaena may refer to the tomentose undersides of the leaves.  (my comment).

General:  Common on one small section of the bluff below Eastbluff North, with several colonies observed.  Not found elsewhere.  Differs from Gazania longiscapa in that the ray fls. are veined below instead of plain yellow. (my comments).  Gazanias are basically of two types, clumping and trailing.  The clumping kinds, such as this species, are complex hybrids between a number of species.  Daily flowers of yellow, orange, white, or rosy pink with reddish purple undersides on 6-10 inch peduncles and 3-4 inches wide are available as plants and seed.  (Sunset Editors, New Western Garden Book. 1984 p.307).

Text. Ref:  Bailey, Manual of Cultivated Plants, 1012;  Bailey, Hortus Third,        .  Sunset Editors, New Western Garden Book 1984. 307.

Photo Ref:  May 04 #19A,24A,25A.

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

First Found: April 2004.

Computer Ref: Plant Data 548.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit: 8/13/04.

                                             May Photo