Calendula arvensis

Acker Marigold (Calendula arvensis)

The field marigold (Calendula arvensis) is a perennial plant of the genus Calendula (Calendula ) and within the sunflower family ( Asteraceae).

Description

The field marigold grows as annual herbaceous plant, reaching heights of growth 5-30 centimeters. The prostrate or arching, ascending, branched stems are leafy up to the flower baskets. The lower leaves are spatulate, short-stalked, entire or remotely dentate blunt, the upper ones are lanceolate with shallow heart-shaped, stängelumfassendem reason.

The cups have a diameter of usually 1-2 (rarely up to 3.5 ) centimeters. The wide bell-shaped shell is made of green bracts which are bordered often reddish overflow and white-skinned on top. The flowers are usually lemon yellow, rare golden. The ray florets are 7-12 mm long and usually less than twice as long as the bracts. The strongly curved, spiny on the back achenes are inside a basket usually of three shape. The outer hook fruits mentioned, ending in a double-edged beak and are wingless and twice as long as the shell, the middle, Kahn fruits mentioned are weak, boat-shaped, the inner, larvae fruits mentioned, are annular rolled and fluted across the back.

The arable marigold flowers in Central Europe from April to October, in the Mediterranean from November to May infrequently throughout the year.

The chromosome number is 2n = 44

Occurrence

The field marigold has its main distribution area widely used there in the Mediterranean area including the Canary Islands and Madeira and comes frequently and in all floristic territories.

In Germany the field Marigold comes as archaeophyte present in wine-growing regions and occurs beyond occasionally inconsistent. It is valid in Central Europe as a thermophile species and grows in vineyards, in root crop fields, arable and ruderal edges on rich, loose, calcareous clay soils. She is there a Kennart of Geranio - Allietum from the Association Fumario - Euphorbion. It applies nationwide as endangered, but regularly comes only in Baden- Württemberg as threatened with extinction and in Rhineland -Palatinate as endangered before.

The field marigold is rare in South Africa, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, in California, locally naturalized in New Zealand.