Gazania is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae (order Asterales), comprising roughly 16–20 species native to Southern Africa. The genus belongs to the tribe Arctotideae and the subtribe Gorteriinae, where it sits close to the genera Hirpicium and Gorteria.
Plants in this genus are low-growing perennials or annuals that produce large, daisy-like composite flowerheads in brilliant shades of yellow and orange, sometimes with contrasting dark centres or striped ray florets. The flowerheads open in response to sunlight and close at night or in cloudy weather. Flowering typically begins in late spring and continues through summer into autumn.
The genus was first formally described by the German botanist Joseph Gaertner in 1791 in the second volume of his landmark work De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum. Gaertner named the genus in honour of Theodorus Gaza, a 15th-century Greek scholar who translated the botanical writings of Theophrastus into Latin. Species delimitation has historically been difficult; a 2009 molecular phylogenetic study using chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences found that several recognised species form a single species complex, with only seven lineages being clearly distinct.
Gazania species occur across a wide altitudinal range in Southern Africa — from low-altitude coastal sands to alpine meadows — and are recorded from South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Angola. Their drought tolerance and fast growth have made them popular ornamental groundcovers worldwide, particularly the trailing gazania (Gazania rigens var. leucolaena) and the clumping gazania (Gazania rigens), the latter of which has produced many named cultivars. However, outside their native range they have become naturalised in parts of Australia, New Zealand, the Mediterranean, and California, where several species are regarded as environmental weeds.
Etymology
The genus name Gazania was coined by the German botanist Joseph Gaertner in 1791, honouring Theodorus Gaza (c. 1398–1478), a Greek scholar from Thessalonica who translated the botanical works of the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus into Latin, making them accessible to Renaissance European scientists.
Distribution
Gazania is native to Southern Africa, ranging from South Africa through Mozambique and Angola to Tanzania, and growing from coastal sands at low altitude to alpine meadows. Several species have been introduced beyond their native range and are now naturalised — and in some regions declared environmental weeds — in parts of Australia, New Zealand, the Mediterranean basin, and California.
Cultivation
Gazanias thrive in full sun and are notably tolerant of drought and poor, well-drained soils, making them popular choices for low-maintenance groundcover. In temperate climates they are typically grown as half-hardy annuals, while in warmer regions they behave as perennials. The trailing gazania (Gazania rigens var. leucolaena) is widely used for mass planting on slopes and embankments due to its vigorous spreading habit. The clumping gazania (G. rigens) offers numerous named cultivars — including 'Aztec', 'Burgundy', 'Copper King', and 'Moonglow' — selected for flower colour and form. Several cultivars hold the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus was first described by Joseph Gaertner in 1791 and has had a variable species count depending on author. Helmut Roessler's 1959 revision recognised 16 species (with 1973 amendments). A 2009 molecular phylogenetic study revealed that eight of Roessler's species form a single species complex, with only seven species — including G. jurineifolia, G. caespitosa, G. tenuifolia, G. ciliaris, G. heterochaeta, G. schenckii, and G. lichtensteinii — supported as genetically distinct. GBIF places the genus in family Asteraceae, order Asterales.
