Arctotheca calendula plant NC13
Introduced, cool-season annual, stemless or short-stemmed herb to 30 cm tall. Leaves form a prostrate rosette to 50 cm in diameter; they are spear shaped, serrated, deeply lobed; upper surface hairless to hairy; lower surface white felted. Flowerheads occur on unbranched peduncles. Ray florets are yellow, ligulate and sterile; disc florets are dark, tubular and bisexual. Germinates in autumn/winter; flowers in spring. A native of South Africa, it is strongly competitive weed of crops, pastures, lawns and disturbed areas (e.g. roadsides). Prefers lighter textured soils of reasonable fertility and where there is a lack of competition. Grazed by stock, but is of lower value than many good pasture species. Can cause nitrate poisoning in sheep and cattle on high fertility soils; taints milk; causes allergic skin reaction in horses and donkeys. Best managed using a number of methods: competition, grazing, mechanical, herbicides. Maintain dense, vigorous pastures and minimise soil disturbance. Needs to be controlled in year prior to sowing pastures; control is easiest at the seedling stage. Combined knockdown herbicides prior to sowing, selective post-sowing herbicides or manuring of crops and pastures can be highly effective for control.
Arctotheca calendula plant NC13
Introduced, cool-season annual, stemless or short-stemmed herb to 30 cm tall. Leaves form a prostrate rosette to 50 cm in diameter; they are spear shaped, serrated, deeply lobed; upper surface hairless to hairy; lower surface white felted. Flowerheads occur on unbranched peduncles. Ray florets are yellow, ligulate and sterile; disc florets are dark, tubular and bisexual. Germinates in autumn/winter; flowers in spring. A native of South Africa, it is strongly competitive weed of crops, pastures, lawns and disturbed areas (e.g. roadsides). Prefers lighter textured soils of reasonable fertility and where there is a lack of competition. Grazed by stock, but is of lower value than many good pasture species. Can cause nitrate poisoning in sheep and cattle on high fertility soils; taints milk; causes allergic skin reaction in horses and donkeys. Best managed using a number of methods: competition, grazing, mechanical, herbicides. Maintain dense, vigorous pastures and minimise soil disturbance. Needs to be controlled in year prior to sowing pastures; control is easiest at the seedling stage. Combined knockdown herbicides prior to sowing, selective post-sowing herbicides or manuring of crops and pastures can be highly effective for control.