Zinnia peruviana

Zinnia peruviana, in Afrikaans known as the wildejakobregop (wild Jacob erect), is an exotic weed from South America, an annual herb growing erectly to 50 cm. Its green stems age to yellow or purple.

The stalkless, opposite leaves are well spaced up the stems and covered in hairs. The leaf shape is ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, between 2,5 cm to 7 cm long.

The stem-tip flowerhead grows solitary on a stalk that thickens near the flowerhead. The ring of purplish red to pale orange ray florets spread around the central disc consisting of tiny florets. Flowering happens in summer and autumn.

The plants occur widespread in South Africa, also introduced and naturalised in many other parts of the world incuding Australia, China, India and Hawaii (Van Wyk and Malan, 1997; Wikipedia).