Perennial herb to 70 cm tall, hairy. Stems erect, sparsely branched. Leaves along stems, oblanceolate, to 20 cm long, to 4 cm wide, toothed to divided, hairy, sessile or shortly petiolate. Capitula solitary, to about 10 cm across; summer. Ray florets usually deep reddish brown, yellow-tipped. Disk florets purple. Achenes 1-2 mm long. Pappus scales 3-5 mm long including point.

Garden origin

A garden hybrid G. aristata Pursh.× G. pulchella Foug. assumed to have originated in Belgium c. 1857.

 

G. aristata Pursh from N America is a perennial to 1 m tall with entire to lobed leaves, capitula about 10 cm across and ligules that are yellow or yellow with a red base.

G. pulchella Foug., Indian Blanket, Fire-wheels, from N America is an annual to 60 cm tall with entire to lobed leaves, capitula to about 6 cm across and ligules that are red with yellow tips or entirely yellow or red; 'Lorenziana' has many large, funnelshaped disk florets that are red, yellow or bicoloured. The var. picta (Sweet) A. Gray is also available.

Source: Lawson, L.; Spencer, R. (2002). Dahlia. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.