Zinnia peruviana

Zinnia peruviana, the Peruvian zinnia, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America and South America.

Peruvian zinnia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Heliantheae
Genus:	Zinnia
Species:	Z. peruviana
Binomial name
Zinnia peruviana (L.) L.
Synonyms[1]
Synonymy Chrysogonum peruvianum L. Crassina intermedia (Engelm.) Kuntze Crassina leptopoda (DC.) Kuntze Crassina multiflora (L.) Kuntze Crassina peruviana (L.) Kuntze Crassina tenuiflora (Jacq.) Kuntze Crassina verticillata (Andrews) Kuntze Lepia pauciflora (L.) Hill Zinnia hybrida Roem. & Usteri Zinnia intermedia Engelm. Zinnia leptopoda DC. Zinnia mendocina Phil. Zinnia multiflora L. Zinnia pauciflora L. Zinnia revoluta Cav. Zinnia tenuiflora Jacq. Zinnia verticillata Andrews

Description

Zinnia peruviana is an annual plant up to 50 cm tall (rarely 100 cm tall).^[2][3] The stems are green, but later become yellow or purple.^[3] The leaves are ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, 2.5–7 cm long and 8–3.5 cm wide; 3- to 5-nerved.^[2][3] The peduncles are 1–7 cm long.^[2][3] Flower heads with 6–21 red, maroon or yellow ray florets (with a 0.8–2.5 cm long petal each) surrounding 12–50 yellow disc florets (with 0.1 cm long corolla lobes).^[2][3] Fruits (cypselae) oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 0.7–1 cm long, 3-angled or compressed, striate.^[2][3]

Close-up of flower head.

Distribution and habitat

The native range of Z. peruviana spans from southeastern Arizona and the Greater Antilles south to Argentina.^[2][3] It grows mostly on open areas or rocky slopes between 800–3000 m of elevation.^[3][4]

It has been introduced to and naturalized in many places such as China, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Australia, South Africa and Hawaii.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}