Citation: Gaertner, Fruct. 2:451 (1791).

Derivation: Probably named after Theodorus Gaza, c. 1400-1475, who translated the botanical works of Theophrastus into Latin.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Gazanias.

Description:
Perennial herbs with vestiture of white tomentum; stems decumbent or extremely short; leaves usually radical, rarely cauline and alternate, flat, entire to pinnatisect.

Capitula pedunculate, solitary, radiate, heterogamous; involucres campanulate; bracts connate at the base to form a cup, lanceolate, herbaceous, imbricate in 2 or 3 series; receptacle fiat or slightly convex, naked, pitted; ray florets uniseriate, neuter, ligulate; disk florets bisexual, 5-merous, tubular, the outer ones fertile, the inner ones usually sterile; anthers sagittate at the base with acute appendages at the apex; style branches linear, obtuse, connate in the sterile florets.

Achenes obovoid, villous; pappus uniseriate, of numerous fine scales.

Distribution:  16 species in South Africa; several are cultivated and at least 2 are naturalised in Australia. (H. Roessler (1959) Mitt. Bot. München 3:364-414).

Biology: G. serrata DC. was collected by J. Black near Waterfall Gully in 1908 and recorded by him as G. pavonia R. Br. in Nat. Fl. S. Aust. 85 (1909); it is not known to have become naturalised in S.Aust.

Key to Species:

1. Stem a short underground rhizome; leaves radical	G. linearis 1.
1. Stems decumbent; leaves cauline	G. rigens 2.

Author: Not yet available