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Osteospermum
	Osteospermum spinosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Subfamily:	Asteroideae
Tribe:	Calenduleae
Genus:	Osteospermum; L.
Type species
	Osteospermum spinosum; (L.)
Species
	See text
Synonyms
	Chrysanthemoides Fabr. (1759); Eriocline Cass. (1819); Inuloides B.Nord. (2006); Lepisiphon Turcz. (1851); Monilifera Adans. (1763), nom. superfl.; Monoculus B.Nord. (2006); Nephrotheca B.Nord. & Källersjö (2006); Norlindhia B.Nord. (2006); Oligocarpus Less. (1832); Tripterachaenium Kuntze (1898); Tripteris Less. (1831); Xenismia DC. (1836);

Osteospermum /ˌɒstiəˈspɜːrməm, -tioʊ-/,^[2]^[3] is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower/daisy family Asteraceae.^[4] They are known as the daisybushes^[5] or African daisies.^[6] Its species have been given several common names, including African daisy, South African daisy, Cape daisy and blue-eyed daisy.

In horticulture, several widely cultivated species continue to be sold, grown and referred to as Osteospermum, however some of these species have been scientifically reclassified as being members of the genus Dimorphotheca, including Dimorphotheca barberae (synonym Osteospermum barberae);^[7] Dimorphotheca ecklonis (synonym Osteospermum ecklonis),^[8]^[9] Dimorphotheca fruticosa (synonym Osteospermum fruticosum);^[10]^[11] and Dimorphotheca jucunda (synonym Osteospermum jucundum).^[12]^[13]

Description

Their alternate (rarely opposite) leaves are green, but some variegated forms exist. The leaf form is lanceolate. The leaf margin is entire, but hardy types are toothed.

The daisy-like composite flower consists of disc florets and ray florets, growing singly at the end of branches or sometimes in inflorescences of terminal corymbose cymes. The disc florets are pseudo-bisexual and come in several colors such as blue, yellow and purple. The hardy types usually show a dark blue center in the disc until the yellow pollen is shed. The ray florets are female and are found diverse colors such as white, cream, pink, purple, mauve to yellow. Some cultivars have "spooned" petals such as "Pink Whirls".^[14] Many species flower a second time late summer, stimulated by the cooler night temperatures. Hardy types show profuse flowering in the spring, but they do not get a second flush of flowers.

Taxonomy

The genus Osteospermum was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The scientific name is derived from the Greek osteon (bone) and Latin spermum (seed). Plants of the World Online and the South African National Biodiversity Institute accept a broad definition of the genus, which is a sister taxon to Dimorphotheca. Other authorities treat its generic synonyms (Chrysanthemoides, Oligocarpus, etc.) as separate genera.^[1]^[15]

Species

74 species are accepted:^[1]

Osteospermum acanthospermum (DC.) Norl.
Osteospermum aciphyllum DC.
Osteospermum afromontanum Norl.
Osteospermum amplectens (Harv.) Norl.
Osteospermum angolense Norl.
Osteospermum apterum (B.Nord.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
Osteospermum armatum Norl.
Osteospermum asperulum (DC.) Norl.
Osteospermum attenuatum Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
Osteospermum auriculatum (S.Moore) Norl.
Osteospermum australe B.Nord.
Osteospermum bidens Thunb.
Osteospermum bolusii (Compton) Norl.
Osteospermum breviradiatum Norl. — Lemoenboegoe
Osteospermum burttianum B.Nord.
Osteospermum calcicola (J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
Osteospermum calendulaceum L.f. — Stinking Roger
Osteospermum ciliatum P.J.Bergius
Osteospermum connatum DC.
Osteospermum corymbosum L.
Osteospermum crassifolium (O.Hoffm.) Norl.
Osteospermum dentatum Burm.f.
Osteospermum elsieae Norl.
Osteospermum grandidentatum DC. — Yellow trailing daisy
Osteospermum grandiflorum DC.
Osteospermum hafstroemii Norl.
Osteospermum herbaceum L.f.
Osteospermum hirsutum Thunb.
Osteospermum hispidum Harv.
Osteospermum hyoseroides (DC.) Norl.
Osteospermum ilicifolium L.
Osteospermum imbricatum L.
Osteospermum incanum Burm.f.
Osteospermum junceum P.J.Bergius
Osteospermum karrooicum (Bolus) Norl.
Osteospermum lanceolatum DC.
Osteospermum leptolobum (Harv.) Norl.
Osteospermum microcarpum (Harv.) Norl.
Osteospermum microphyllum DC.
Osteospermum moniliferum L.
Osteospermum monocephalum (Oliv. & Hiern) Norl.
Osteospermum monstrosum (Burm.f.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
Osteospermum montanum Klatt
Osteospermum muricatum E.Mey. ex DC.
Osteospermum namibense Swanepoel
Osteospermum nervosum (Hutch.) Norl.
Osteospermum nordenstamii J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
Osteospermum norlindhianum J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
Osteospermum nyikense Norl.
Osteospermum oppositifolium (Aiton) Norl.
Osteospermum pinnatilobatum Norl.
Osteospermum pinnatum (Thunb.) Norl.
Osteospermum polycephalum (DC.) Norl.
Osteospermum polygaloides L.
Osteospermum potbergense A.R.Wood & B.Nord.
Osteospermum pterigoideum Klatt
Osteospermum pyrifolium Norl.
Osteospermum rigidum Aiton
Osteospermum rosulatum Norl.
Osteospermum rotundifolium (DC.) Norl.
Osteospermum sanctae-helenae Norl.
Osteospermum scariosum DC.
Osteospermum sinuatum (DC.) Norl.
Osteospermum spathulatum (DC.) Norl.
Osteospermum spinescens Thunb.
Osteospermum spinigerum (Norl.) Norl.
Osteospermum spinosum L.
Osteospermum striatum Burtt Davy
Osteospermum subulatum DC.
Osteospermum thodei Markötter
Osteospermum tomentosum (L.f.) B.Nord.
Osteospermum triquetrum L.f.
Osteospermum vaillantii (Decne.) Norl.
Osteospermum volkensii (O.Hoffm.) Norl.

Formerly placed here

Dimorphotheca barberae — synonym Osteospermum barberae (Harv.) Norl.)
Dimorphotheca ecklonis — Cape marguerite, blue-and-white daisybush (synonym Osteospermum ecklonis (DC.) Norl.)
Dimorphotheca fruticosa — Trailing African daisy, shrubby daisybush (synonym Osteospermum fruticosum (L.) Norl.)
Dimorphotheca jucunda (E.Phillips) Norl. — South African daisy (synonym Osteospermum jucundum E.Phillips)

Distribution

There are about 70 species native to southern and eastern Africa and the Arabian peninsula.^[1]

Cultivation

Osteospermum are popular in cultivation, where they are frequently used in summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. Numerous hybrids and cultivars have been grown with a wide range of tropical colors. Yellow cultivars tend to have a yellow center (sometimes off-white).

Plants prefer a warm and sunny position and rich soil, although they tolerate poor soil, salt or drought well. Modern cultivars flower continuously when watered and fertilised well, and dead-heading is not necessary, because they do not set seed easily. If planted in a container, soil should be prevented from drying out completely. If they do, the plants will go into "sleep mode" and survive the period of drought, but they will abort their flower buds and not easily come back into flower. Moreover, roots are relatively susceptible to rotting if watered too profusely after the dry period.

Cultivars

Most widely sold cultivars are grown as annuals, are mainly hybrids of O. jucundum, O. ecklonis and O. grandiflorum and can be hardy to -2 °C (30 °F). If hardy, they can be grown as perennials or as shrubs.

Cultivars (those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit):^[16]