Arctotis stoechadifolia
| Arctotis stoechadifolia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Arctotis |
| Species: | A. stoechadifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Arctotis stoechadifolia P. J. Bergius | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Arctotis grandis | |
Arctotis stoechadifolia is a species of South African daisy known by several common names, including silver arctotis, kusgousblom, and blue-eyed African daisy. It is becoming less common in its native range along the western coast of South Africa, but at the same time it is becoming abundant in other areas of the world with similar climates, such as California and coastal Australia, where it has escaped from gardens to become a noxious weed. This is a popular ornamental plant in areas of suitable climate, grown as a ground cover for its silvery foliage and showy daisy blooms. It is adaptable to many conditions and is sometimes used as a soil stabilizer in areas of erosion. It is a perennial with stout, woolly stems and aromatic, fiddle-shaped, heavily lobed leaves. The flower heads have many creamy-white to pink or bronze ray florets with lavender to reddish undersides and centers filled with purple-petalled disc florets. The fruit is a hard achene with a tuft of plumelike hairs on one end and an array of pappus scales on the other.