Annuals, 5-30+ cm. Leaf blades narrowly oblong or oblanceolate to linear, 10-50(-100+) × 2-20(-30+) mm, margins usually sinuately denticulate, sometimes serrate or entire, rarely pinnati-fid. Peduncles (2-)5-15+ cm. Phyllaries 6-12+ mm. Ray corolla laminae abaxially yellow to orange (often marked with purple), adaxially mostly yellow to orange (sometimes purplish at bases and/or apices), 15-20(-30+) mm. Disc florets 15-50+; corollas yellow to orange, usually purplish distally, 4-5 mm (lobe apices acute, terete, or dilated). Ray cypselae 4-5 mm; disc cypselae 6-8 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering (Dec-)Mar-May. Disturbed places; 0-1000 m; introduced; Ariz., Calif.; South Africa.

Duration: Annual

Nativity: Non-Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Introduced, stems simple or sparingly branched from base 10-30 cm tall.

Leaves: Less than 10 cm long, lower tapered to petiole-like base; upper sessile, blade oblong to oblanceolate, entire to coarsely dentate, upper smaller, sometimes linear.

Flowers: Heads 3-7 cm in diameter, involucre more or less bell-shaped; phyllaries 10-15 mm, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowly scarious-margined; ray flowers orange to yellow, sometimes violet at base or tip, ligules 2-2.5 cm; corollas 4.5-5.5 mm, yellow or orange, often purple-tipped.

Fruits: Ray cypselae 4-5 mm; disk achenes 6-7 mm.

Ecology: Found on roadsides, disturbed places below 3,500 ft (1067 m); flowers March-May.

Notes: Introduced from South Africa, thought to have escaped cultivation.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Dimorphotheca comes from the Greek dimorph, two forms and theke, ovary, while sinuata means having sinuous or wavy margins.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley, 2010