Garden Cosmos

Annual herb to c.1 m. Leaves: petiole 0 or widened and clasping, to 4 cm; lamina 6-11 × 3-5 cm, ovate in outline, deeply dissected with ultimate segments c. 1 mm wide, linear. Capitula up to c. 2 cm diameter (excluding rays), solitary on terminal and side branches. Phyllaries: outer c. 1 cm, ovate with a long-acuminate apex; inner shorter. Receptacular scales c. 7 mm with a linear appendage, c. 2 mm. Rays up to 4 cm, c. 8, pink, white or lilac; apex 3-dentate. Disk florets yellow. Achenes 7-16 mm, blackish. Pappus of 2-3 forward-pointing setae or 0.

Frequent

Native of Central America and the West Indies.