Dimorphotheca pluvialis, common names white African daisy, Cape marigold, weather prophet, Cape rain-daisy, ox-eye daisy, Cape daisy or rain daisy.

Description:

Dimorphotheca pluvialis is an annual herb up to 40 cm (16 in) tall. It has long, narrow leaves, sometimes entire but sometimes toothed or pinnately lobed. Ray flowers are white to yellowish, sometimes with blue or purple markings. Disc flowers are usually white to yellowish with purple tips.

Flowering in masses the glistening white daisies look like snow covering the ground of the large annual beds, small pockets along the footpaths and rockeries. For the best display it is important to visit the garden on a sunny day as these sun-loving daisies only open with the warmth of the sun from about 10 o’clock in the morning to 4 o’clock in the afternoon. As the sun moves across the sky their flowers follow, always facing the sun.

Dimorphotheca pluvialis forms a bushy plant that is covered with large white daisies all flowering at the same level. The flowering season is from July to October, depending on the rain. The narrow leaves are light green, about 7 cm long and have indented edges. They are numerous at the base of the stems, becoming fewer and smaller near the top.

Habitat:

Dimorphotheca pluvialis is endemic to Namibia, Namaqualand and the Western Cape, it occurs on sandy and clay flats and slopes from Gouritsmond to southern Namibia. During spring huge fields are covered with this bright white daisy, forming a dazzling mass.

In their natural habitat the flowers are pollinated by small horseflies that get covered with pollen as they fly from one daisy to the next in search of tiny amounts of nectar.

These annuals are adapted to germinate, grow, flower and set seed during the rainy winter and to survive the long dry summer as seed. The seeds are interesting in that two different forms are produced. The ones we usually sow is flat, papery and fly away easily in the wind. They are formed in the center of the flower by the disk florets. The outer ray florets form seeds which look like little thorns with a thick coat. Under favorable conditions the papery seed of the disk florets germinate in abundance, while the seeds of the ray florets have delayed germination to protect the species against unpredictable conditions in their arid environment.

• Location: Durbanville Nature Reserve, Durbanville, South Africa
• Date Taken: 2020-10-25
• Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Lens: Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18-200 mm 3-5.6 IS
• Exposure Program: Manual
• Image Quality: RAW
• F-Stop: f/7.1
• Exposure Time: 1/200 sec
• ISO Speed: ISO-100
• Focal Length: 190 mm
• Metering Mode: Spot Metering
• Handheld
• Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS6
• Photographer: Coreen Kuhn
• Information: PlantZAfrica.com

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Coreen

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