It is a rough plant native to the tropics to subtropics which include Central Amerika , the Southwestern United States , California , Florida , the Caribbean , and South America . Most species can be found in Mexico, five in the Southwestern United States, and three scattered in Colombia and Brazil . [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Some sources say that the name Melampodium comes from the Greekkata-kata( melas ), which means " black ", and ( podion ), which means "foot". This refers to the color of the base of the stem and roots. [13] Members of the genus are commonly known as blackfoot . [14] Other authorities, however, argue that this is a mistake, that the name derives from Melampus , a famous astrologer in Greek mythology . [6]
The genus consists of annuals and perennials or perdu , tumbuh setinggi 1 m. Sebagai orang dewasa, mereka cenderung jatuh. Mereka menyukai tanah rata-rata yang dikeringkan dengan baik, tetapi juga dapat tumbuh di tanah berbatu di gurun. Mereka cukup toleran terhadap kekeringan dan panas. Tiga spesies yang disebut kompleks sinar-putih adalahxerophytic . [6]
The foliage varies from bright green to gray green. The opposite leaves are narrow and about 2-5 cm long. [6]
The terminal flowerkepala adalah sekitar lebar 2,5 cm. Mereka memberikan penampilan putih terus menerus (hanya dalam tiga spesies kompleks sinar putih), krem, atau kuntum kuning seperti bunga aster, mengelilingi pusat oranye yang lebih gelap dengan kuntum cakram. Delapan hingga 10 tunas cakram luas ini bekerja dengan baik. Kelima luar bracts yang sebagian bergabung untuk sekitar setengah panjang mereka. [6]
Many fruits are seed-like (they consist of inner involucral bracts each encasing and fused with individual ray achenes), with several narrow scales at the ends. They make this genus one of the most prolific of summer annuals, with seedlings appearing constantly. [6]
The genus displays a large number ofjumlah kromosom haploid berdasarkan 4 nomor kromosom dasar (x = 9, 10, 11, 12).
Several cultivars of Melampodium leucanthum have been developed, such as 'Million Gold' and 'Showstar', mostly to achieve a more compact size.
Note: Melampodium has been labeled Sanvitalia speciosa in the horticultural trade, but this is an invalid name. [15source.
