Erigeron karvinskianus
Common name
Mexican daisy
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
ERIKAR
Habitat
Terrestrial. Intact and disturbed bush, shrubland, tussockland, fernland, herbfield, bare land, streamsides, cliffs and bluffs, inshore and offshore islands, gumlands, consolidated sand dunes, most coastal areas, riverbeds, epiphyte niches.
Features
Sprawling perennial daisy to 40 cm tall. Roots fibrous. Stems long, thin, sparsely hairy to hairless, much-branching, rooting, sprawling, 15-70 cm long. Leaves small, narrow (upper leaves usually 3-lobed), fragrant when crushed. Flowers daisy-like, white, white-purplish or pink, central disc yellow to brownish-yellow, Jan-Dec. Fluffy seeds in profusion.
Similar taxa
Bellis perennis (daisy) has nearly identical flowers, but wider leaves in a basal rosette.
Flowering
September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May.
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Year naturalised
1940
Origin
Mexico
Etymology
erigeron: From the Greek eri ‘early’ (or ear ‘spring’) and geron ‘old’, possibly alluding to the hairy seed pappus, or perhaps to the hoary appearance of the leaves of some species in the spring.
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental
Life Cycle Comments
Perennial. Herb
Reproduction
Reproduces by seed and occasionally layering in damp sites.
Seed
Flowers produce masses of fluffy seeds.
Dispersal
Spreads mainly by windblown seeds. Other dispersal methods include roadside mowers, machinery, gravel and water actions.
Tolerances
Tolerates moderate shade to full sun, damp to drought, high to low temperature and almost any surface.