Asteraceae
Zinnia

Zinnia elegans Jacq.

First published in Icon. Pl. Rar. 3: 15 (1792), nom. cons.
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Nicaragua. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses, as a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
Grown as an ornamental at least in Hargeysa, native in Mexico.
Morphology General Habit
Erect herb, up to 1 m tall; stems hirsute
Morphology Leaves
Leaves lanceolate to ovate, sessile, up to c. 8 x 4 cm, acute or subacute at the apex, with entire margins, hirsute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula radiate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries
Phyllaries several-seriate, obovate, rounded at the apex, dark in upper part, glabrous except for ciliate margin
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Ray florets pink, red, purple, yellow or white, the blade obovate-spathulate, up to 3 x 1 cm, hirsute outside
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes flattened, without pappus.
[FSOM]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Colombia
[CPLC]

Distribution
Naturalised in Colombia.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Note
Originally from Mexico, now widely cultivated; occasionally it may become an escape but it does not seem to naturalize.
Diagnostic
It resembles the next species but has larger leaves and larger ray florets, up to 25 x 12 mm. Nairobi:City Park, Dec. 1970, Mathenge 733!
[FTEA]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Glabrescent to densely pubescent annual herb to 30(–45) cm tall in Iraq (to 1 m in country of origin)
Morphology Stem
Stems ± stout, somewhat ribbed, with multiseriate, acicular and a few branched hairs, the latter usually towards base of stem
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sessile ovate-oblong or lanceolate, 5–11 × 1.6–7.2 cm, with 3–5 conspicuous main veins, amplexicaul, acute, hispid and glandular, glands sessile, yellow
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence unbranched, scape swollen and hollow beneath capitulum
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula 2.5–9 cm in diameter (including rays); phyllaries 4–5-seriate, oblong, obtuse with dark apical border, ± hairy and/or ciliate; receptacle becoming conical, hollow, paleae ± oblong, usually coloured at maturity
Ray
Ray floret limbs red to violet, undersurface pale, 1- to multiseriate, obovate-spatulate, 0.9–3.5 × 3–10 mm, emarginate or entire, minutely pubescent and glandular, tube long-hairy; style bifid, hairy
Disc
Disc florets 5-lobed, lobes 5–13 × 2–6 mm, spreading, bearded; anthers 35 mm (excluding collars), sagittate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes of ray florets obovate in outline, ± triquetrous, 7 × 3 mm, with ± pronounced shoulders, hairy, margins shallowly toothed and ciliate; achenes of disc florets similar but narrower, 10 × 2–3 mm; pappus absent.
Distribution
Cultivated as an ornamental plant for its brightly coloured flowers in Baghdad and other cities where ornamental plants are grown.
Phenology
flowering & fruiting: (Apr.-)Jul.-Sep.(-Nov.).
Vernacular
Sometimes known as YANGI DUNYĀ in Iraq.
[FIQ]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0