#arctotheca

[drhoz]

#3182 - Arctotheca calendula - Capeweed

AKA plain treasureflower, cape dandelion, or cape marigold.

Native to the Western Cape Province of South Africa, and a nightmare of a weed in California, Spain, Portugal, Italy, New Zealand, Chile, and, of course, Australia. A declared noxious weed in some of those places. It rapidly occupies any open or disturbed ground - in this case, the carpark at the Reynoldson Flora Reserve. At least the bee-flies seem to like it.

GSB2024 Wongan Hills

[drhoz]

#794 - Arctotheca populifolia - Cape Beach Daisy

AKA South African beach daisy, coast capeweed, dune arctotheca, beach pumpkin, sea pumpkin, dune cabbage, and in South Africa, seepampoen, tonteldoek, and strandgousblom.

As you might guess from the common name, native to South Africa. As you probably guessed, another invasive species, introduced to Western Australia as a ‘dune stabiliser’ and now a noxious weed on all temperate coastlines and anywhere basaltic soils let it march inland as well.

Distinguished from most of the other dune plants around here by the very wide leaves (silvery with hairs to reduce water loss) and the fact hat it will grow much, much closer to the water than any of the other dune plants. A pioneer species readily growing in open sand - which is part of the problem. It is so readily established on open sand, and so good at holding that sand together, that birds that nest in open areas are forced out, and it can even block the flow of seawater in and out coastal lakes.

The seeds are a favoured food of the African hairy-footed gerbil. But since we don’t have hairy-footed gerbils in Australia, fuck ‘em.

Singleton, Perth

[wildsydney]

A #walk down #laperouse #capedaisy #capeweed #arctotheca #calendula #wildfoodmap #notedible