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Scientific Name
Family
Common Names
Origin
Naturalised Distribution
Habitat
Habit
Distinguishing Features
Stems and Leaves
Flowers and Fruit
Reproduction and Dispersal
Environmental Impact
Legislation
Management
Similar Species
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habit prior to flowering (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

winged stems and lower stem leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

deeply-toothed leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of winged stems and lower stem leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

seedling (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

young plants (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Senecio pterophorus

Scientific Name

Senecio pterophorus DC.

Family

Asteraceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Compositae (South Australia)

Common Names

African daisy, South African daisy, winged groundsel

Origin

Native to southern Africa.

Naturalised Distribution

This species is most common in the south-eastern parts of South Australia, where it is quite widespread and abundant. It is also relatively common in the southern and western regions of Victoria and is scattered along the central coast of New South Wales.

Habitat

A weed of grasslands, pastures, roadsides, disturbed sites, waste areas and forest margins in temperate and sub-tropical regions.

Habit

An upright (i.e. erect) herbaceous plant or small bushy shrub usually growing 1-1.5 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 3 m in height.

Distinguishing Features

Stems and Leaves

The stems are greyish-green in colour, ribbed lengthwise (i.e. longitudinally) and covered in fine woolly hairs. The lower parts of the stems develop toothed (i.e. serrated) 'wings' and become somewhat woody when the plant is mature.

The alternately arranged leaves (50-120 mm long and 3-25 mm wide) have dark green upper surfaces and whitish woolly undersides (i.e. they are discolorous). They are lance-shaped (i.e. lanceolate) with coarsely toothed (i.e. serrated) to entire margins that are often curled downwards (i.e. revolute). The lower leaves have short stalk-like bases and 'wings' that extend down the stems. However, the uppermost leaves are generally smaller, narrower and stalkless (i.e. sessile).

Flowers and Fruit

The flower-heads (12-15 mm across) are borne in spreading clusters at the tops of the stems. These flower-heads (i.e. capitula) have several (9-13) yellow 'petals' (i.e. ray florets) about 4-7 mm long. They also have numerous (40-95) darker yellow tiny tubular flowers (i.. tubular or disc florets) in the centre and are surrounded by two distinct layers of bracts (i.e. an involucre). The inner bracts (18-22 in number) are larger (4-5 mm long) and taper to a brown hair-like tip, while the outer bracts (i.e. bracteoles) are shorter. Flowering occurs from late spring through until autumn.

The 'seeds' (i.e. achenes) are reddish-brown or dark brown in colour and oblong or cylindrical in shape. These 'seeds' (1.5-2 mm long) are also ribbed lengthwise (i.e. longitudinally) and partially covered in minute hairs or bristles. They are topped with a ring (i.e. pappus) of silky hairs (up to 5 mm long) that are easily shed.

Reproduction and Dispersal

This plant reproduces by seed, and occasionally via crown segments.

Most dispersal is by wind, water, animals and vehicles. However, some spread may also occur or in contaminated soil and agricultural produce.

Environmental Impact

African daisy (Senecio pterophorus) is regarded as an environmental weed in South Australia, and is actively managed by community groups in that state.

Legislation

This species is declared under legislation in the following states and territories:

Management

For information on the management of this species see the following resources:

Similar Species

African daisy (Senecio pterophorus) is very similar to fireweed groundsel (Senecio linearifolius) and cotton fireweed (Senecio quadridentatus), and relatively similar to variable groundsel (Senecio pinnatifolius), fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) and ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). These species can be differentiated by the following differences: