Gazania

Taxobox
name = "Gazania"

---

regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Asterales
familia = Asteraceae
genus = "Gazania"
genus_authority = Gaertn.

"Gazania" is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Southern Africa. It is often planted as drought-tolerant ground cover.

pecies

Species include:cite web |url=http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb/bd/africa/resultat.php |title=African plants database |accessdate=2008-04-11 ]
*"Gazania caespitosa" Bolus
*"Gazania ciliaris" DC.
*"Gazania heterochaeta" DC.
*"Gazania jurineifolia" DC.
*"Gazania krebsiana" Less. (= "Gazania pavonia") - Terracotta Gazania
*"Gazania lichtensteinii" Less..
*"Gazania leiopoda" (DC.) Roessler
*"Gazania linearis" (Thunb.) Druce - Treasureflower
*"Gazania maritima" Levyns
*"Gazania othonnites" (Thunb.) Less.
*"Gazania pectinata" (Thunb.) Hartw.
*"Gazania rigens" (L.) Gaertn. (= "Gazania × splendens")
*"Gazania rigida" (Burm.f.) Roessler
*"Gazania schenckii" O.Hoffm.
*"Gazania serrata" DC.
*"Gazania tenuifolia" Less.
*"Gazania thermalis" Dinter

Taxonomic history

The genus was first formally described by German botanist Joseph Gaertner in the second volume of his major work "De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum" in 1791.

Distribution

The genus occurs in South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Tanzania and Angola.Additionally, species are naturalised in Australia, New Zealand, and California. They are widely cultivated as ornamental garden plants. [cite web |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=gazania |title=Genus "Gazania" |accessdate=2008-04-11 |author=|work= PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia] cite web |url=http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.AP.FLORA.FZ5061&pgs= |title=Aluka - Entry for Gazania Gaertn. [family COMPOSITAE] |accessdate=2008-04-11]

Cultivation

Gazanias are grown for the brilliant colour of their flower which appear in the late spring and early summer. They prefer a sunny position and are tolerant of dryness and poor soils.cite book|author= Arthurs, Kathryn L. (ed.)|title=Lawns & Groundcovers|publisher=Lane Publishing Co. | year=1979 | id=ISBN 03760305072]

A commonly grown variety is the Trailing Gazania ("Gazania rigens" var. "leucolaena"). They are commonly used as groundcovers and can be planted en masse to cover large areas or embankments, assisted by their fast growth rate. Cultivars of this variety include 'Sunburst', 'Sunglow' and 'Sunrise Yellow'

Another popular cultivated variety is the Clumping Gazania ("Gazania rigens") which has a number of named cultivars including 'Aztec', 'Burgundy', 'Copper King', 'Fiesta Red', 'Goldrush' and 'Moonglow'.

ee also

*List of Gazania cultivars

References

* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/gazankrebs.htm PlantZafrica.com: "Gazania krebsiana"]