Flora of New Zealand Series

Mexican daisy

Procumbent to ascending perennial herb. Stems ridged, sparsely hairy, becoming glabrous, much-branched, rooting, 15-70 cm long. Lvs mostly or all cauline at flowering; lower cauline lvs ovate-elliptic to elliptic or obovate-elliptic, apetiolate and cuneate, cuspidate, often 3-lobed with central lobe largest, sometimes with lateral lobes reduced to teeth at c. 1/2 length of lf, sometimes entire, usually sparsely hairy, sometimes moderately hairy or almost glabrous, often ciliate, (10)-15-40-(60) × (2)-5-15-(25) mm; uppermost lvs smaller, narrow-elliptic, not lobed. Capitula c. 15-25 mm diam., solitary or few in corymbs. Involucral bracts lanceolate, glabrous or sparsely hairy, 2.5-4 mm long. Ligules linear, usually white flushed with purplish pink, sometimes white, pink, or purple, 5-8 mm long. Disc yellow or brownish yellow. Achenes sparsely hairy, 1-1.4 mm long; pappus of 1 row of long hairs, sometimes with shorter hairs intermixed.

N.: throughout; S.: Nelson, Marlborough, Westland, Canterbury, Dunedin.

Mexico 1940

Usually on banks or cliffs in waste places, forest margins, streamsides, or scrubland.

FL Sep-May.

Mexican daisy is widely cultivated, often under the name E. mucronatus, and is now thoroughly established in the wild.