Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 2, 2026

Dimorphotheca

Dimorphotheca is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae, native to southern Africa. is one of eight genera of the Calenduleae, with a centre of diversity in Southern Africa. Species are native to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Some species can hybridize with Osteospermum, and crosses are sold as cultivated ornamentals.

Last revised
Jun 2, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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Dimorphotheca
Dimorphotheca sinuata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Calenduleae
Genus: Dimorphotheca
Moench (1794), nom. cons.
Synonyms12
  • Acanthotheca DC. (1838)
  • Arnoldia Cass. (1824)
  • Blaxium Cass. (1824)
  • Castalis Cass. (1824)
  • Gattenhoffia Neck. (1790), not validly publ.
  • Meteorina Cass. (1818)
  • Osteospermum sect. Blaxium (Cass.) T. Norl.

Dimorphotheca is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae, native to southern Africa.3 is one of eight genera of the Calenduleae, with a centre of diversity in Southern Africa. Species are native to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.1 Some species can hybridize with Osteospermum, and crosses are sold as cultivated ornamentals.

The name Dimorphotheca is derived from the Greek: di (two) morph (shape) theka (receptacle), referring to the dimorphic cypselae, a trait inherent to members of the Calenduleae.4 Plants of this genus usually have bisexual flowers.

Species2
References

References

  1. "Dimorphotheca Moench". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  2. Flann, C, ed. (2009). "Global Compositae Checklist: Dimorphotheca Vaill. ex Moench". iplantcollaborative.org. Retrieved 2025-09-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; Staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium (1976). Hortus Third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-02-505470-7 – via archive.org.
  4. Dlamini, Mhlonishwa D.; Oliver, Roger (July 2002). "Dimorphotheca sinuata". pza.sanbi.org (August 2020 ed.). PlantZAfrica, South African National Biodiversity Institute.

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