Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 2:922 (1753).

Derivation: Greek arktos, a bear; ous, otos, ear; referring to the shaggy winged achenes.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Arctotis.

Description:
Annual or perennial herbs, rosette-forming or with short prostrate to ascending stems; vestiture of white tomentum, glandular hairs often present; leaves radical and cauline, alternate, flat, pinnatisect to entire.

Capitula pedunculate, solitary, radiate, heterogamous; involucres campanulate to hemispherical; bracts free, lanceolate, herbaceous to scarious, imbricate in several unequal series; receptacle flat or slightly convex, naked, pitted; ray florets uniseriate, female, fertile, ligulate; disk florets bisexual, fertile, tubular; anthers obtuse to sagittate at the base with ovate appendages at the apex; style branches very short, almost completely fused, obtuse.

Achenes asymmetrically obovoid with 3 wing-like ridges on the posterior side, variously hairy; pappus of scarious scales, 2-seriate, or absent.

Distribution:  About 50 species in southern Africa.

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available