Perennial shrub to 1 m or more tall, hairy. Stems climbing or spreading, branched. Leaves broad-ovate to round, to 3.5 cm long, to 3 cm wide, petiolate. Capitula many in loose corymbs, to 7 mm across; winter. Involucral bracts in about 5 rows, about as long as florets, white. Florets all bisexual, yellow. Achenes cylindrical, about 1 mm long, 5-ribbed, glabrous.

South Africa

 

H. amorginum Boiss. & Orph. from Greece is a woody shrub to 30 cm tall with narrow leaves, clustered capitula to 1.5 cm across and white involucral bracts;

H. amplectans Hilliard from South Africa is a basally woody herb to 60 cm tall with broad leaves, clustered capitula to 1.3 cm across and white involucral bracts;

H. bellum Hilliard from South Africa is a decumbent herb to 30 cm tall with broad basal leaves, usually solitary capitula to 3 cm across and white involucral bracts;

H. harveyanum Wild from South Africa is a basally woody herb to 75 cm tall with narrow leaves, clustered capitula to 0.5 cm across and tawny involucral bracts;

H. italicum (Roth.) G. Don. from southern Europe is a woody shrub to 50 cm tall with narrow leaves, clustered capitula to 0.5 cm across and straw-coloured involucral bracts;

H. litorale Bol. from South Africa is a prostrate or decumbent herb with small broad leaves, solitary or clustered capitula to 0.3 cm across and golden brown or crimson involucral bracts;

H. marginatum DC. from South Africa is a mat-forming shrub with smallish broad leaves, solitary capitula to 4 cm across and white involucral bracts with a crimson blotch inside;

H. milfordiae Killick from South Africa is a mat-forming shrub with small broad leaves, solitary capitula to 3 cm across and white involucral bracts tipped with crimson or brown;

H. retortum (L.) Willd. from South Africa is a prostrate or decumbent herb with smallish narrow leaves, solitary capitula to 7 cm across and golden brown outer involucral bracts;

H. sibthorpii Rouy from Greece is a decumbent or ascending herb to 10 cm tall with broad lower leaves, solitary or clustered capitula to 1.5 cm across and white involucral bracts;

H. splendidum (Thunb.) Less. from eastern Africa is an erect or rarely sprawling shrub to 1.5 m tall with narrow leaves, clustered capitula to 0.8 cm across and yellow involucral bracts;

H. stoechas (L.) Moench from southern and western Europe is an erect herb or subshrub to 50 cm tall with narrow leaves, clustered capitula to 0.7 cm across and brass yellow involucral bracts.

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.