Flora of New Zealand Series

cosmos

Erect annual, (15)-30-110 cm tall. Stems moderately to densely clothed in short hairs, becoming glabrous below, striate, much-branched above to form infl. Lvs shortly petiolate or subsessile, ovate-triangular, (1)-2-pinnate, (2)-3-12 cm long; leaflets glabrous or sparsely clothed in short hairs and ciliolate, usually linear, rarely narrow-lanceolate, 5-30 mm long. Upper cauline lvs becoming smaller and apetiolate. Capitula (25)-45-90 mm diam., in loose cymes; peduncles glabrous or sparsely hairy. Outer involucral bracts foliaceous, glabrous, green with darker lines, ovate-oblong with extended acuminate apex; inner bracts membranous, pale green to brown with dark lined centre and pale margins, ovate-triangular, obtuse to acute. Receptacular scales membranous, acuminate. Ray florets (4)-7-9; ligules pale to deep mauve-pink, pink or white. Disc florets numerous, yellow. Achenes (3)-4-angled, fusiform with attenuated beak, brown, glabrous except for short antrorse hairs toward apex, 5-12 mm long; pappus 0.

N.: Coromandel (Tairua), Hutt R.; S.: Nelson City, Buller Gorge, lowland Marlborough, Canterbury, C. Otago.

Southern U.S.A., Mexico 1958

Waste places, riverbeds.

FL Jan-May.

Cosmos is found only locally as an escape from cultivation. Achenes of wild N.Z. material lack pappus awns (Fig. 22); most cvs of C. bipinnatus are also awnless, although awned and awnless forms occur in indigenous populations.