Asteraceae: Sunflower Family –Arctotis Tribe
The Sunflower family is a very large family with over 25,000 members. Botanists subdivide the family into a number of tribes, of which 14 are present in Monterey County. The Arctotis tribe has three members, including the commonly cultivated Blue-eyed African Daisy and Gazanias.
Prostrate Capeweed – Arctotheca prostrata
Blooms:
All year
Plant Height:
Prostrate
Flower Size:
Large
Origin:
South Africa
Invasive?
Yes – moderate
Habitat:
Disturbed areas, especially near coast
Notes:
This is an escapee from cultivation. It has 16–25 ray flowers, 25–40 mm long, pale yellow above and yellow to brown/purple beneath. The receptacle is shallow and bowl-shaped. The stems are ribbed, and covered in small hairs, white or reddish. Similar to Cape Weed (Arctotheca calendula), which has shorter (6–15 mm) and fewer (6–13) ray flowers and is also classified as moderately invasive.
