VELVET GROUNDSEL

Roldana petasitis, also known as the velvet groundsel or Californian geranium, is a species of the genus Roldana and family Asteraceae that used to be classified in the genus Senecio. It is native to Central America. Preferring constant heat and thriving in sheltered gardens, it is an evergreen subshrub with weak stems. It grows up to 1.8 m tall and has large leaves with 7 or more broad, blunt lobes.

The flower heads, like daisies, of about 6 ray ligulate petals are borne in foliaceous panicles. The plant blooms from winter to early spring. The plant is native to the subtropical highlands (Sierra Madre del Sur) of Oaxaca in Mexico, south to the tropics in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

Climatically, it is found in the tropical savanna climates grading into the drier semi-arid or temperate wet/dry areas, where it is present from Veracruz in the north to Nicaragua in the south, in both pine-oak and mountain cloud forests between 1,000m and 2,500m, whereas the cristobalensis variety is found in Chiapas, the southern most Mexican state, and in Guatemala between elevations 1,000m and 1,600m. It is naturalised in parts of southeastern Australia and New Zealand.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme