Chrysanthemum coronarium L.
annual chrysanthemum
Glabrous or sparsely hairy herb. Stems erect, 15-120 cm tall, striate, branched above. Basal and lower cauline lvs green, ovate-oblong to obovate, (1)-2-3-pinnatisect, up to c. 10 cm long; base cuneate with reduced leaflets along lf sheath; ultimate segments subulate, entire or with a few teeth, all in one plane; cauline lvs similar to basal, smaller and less divided near capitula. Involucral bracts 5-15 mm long; margins and apex membranous; inner bracts with broad apical flap. Capitula few in corymbs, or solitary, c. 3-5 cm diam.; ray florets 10-numerous (capitula sometimes double); ligules usually pale to bright yellow, rarely white; disc florets numerous, yellow. Achenes 2.5-3 mm long, with small glandular hairs; achenes of ray florets usually 3-angled, with angles often winged and faces faintly ribbed or smooth; achenes of disc florets mostly with (1)-2-winged angles and 3 narrow ribs on each surface, innermost achenes sometimes not winged.
N.: Auckland City, Whakataki and Porirua (Wellington); S.: Christchurch, Timaru.
Mediterranean to N.W. Iran 1880
Waste places and rubbish dumps.
FL Oct-Feb.
C. coronarium is an occasional escape from cultivation; double and single cvs as well as a range of colour forms have been collected as wild plants. The 3-angled outer achenes distinguish the sp. from C. segetum (Fig. 17).
