Senecio glastifolius
Common name
pink ragwort, holly-leaved senecio
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Features
An erect, hairless perennial herb, becoming distinctly woody towards it”s base; to 1 m tall. Leaves are oblong or narrow elliptic in shape, with serrated edges and often coarse toothed at base, 3-15 cm long x 1-2.5cm wide 12 -20 purple/pink daisy-like florets with yellow centres, 12-25 mm long. Flowers Sept-Nov.
Similar taxa
Mauve-pink flowered daisy. A perennial plant (Webb et al. 1988). The plant is often an annual (C.C. Ogle pers. comm.). The plant becomes distinctly woody toward base and forms plants upto 1 m tall. The flower of the plant has 12-22 ray florets and they are mauve-pink or pale to deep pink (Webb et al. 1988). The disc of the flower is yellow.
Flowering
September, October, November
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Life cycle
Seed dispersed by wind (Colin Ogle, pers. comm.).
Year naturalised
1969
Origin
South Africa
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Etymology
senecio: From the Latin senex ‘old man’ (probably referring to the bearded seeds)
References and further reading
Biology and ecology of Senecio glastifolius and its spread and impacts in New Zealand by P.A. Williams et al. (DOC, Science for Conservation 112)