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Tridax Daisy
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Tridax Daisy
aturalized ovate Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Tridax Daisy, Coat Buttons, Mexican Daisy • Assamese: কুৰকুৰি বন kurkuri bon, পুতলী বন putoli bon, ত্রিধারা tridhara • Bengali: কানাইয়া kanaiya, কানফুলি kanaphuli, পরদেশি ভাঙড়া pardesi bhangara, ত্রিদক্ষ tridaksa, ত্রিধারা tridhara • Gujarati: ઘાબુરી ghaburi, પરદેશી ભાંગરો pardeshi bhangaro • Hindi: कानफुली kanphuli, कुमढ़ा kumra • Kachchhi: વિલાતી ભંગરો vilati bhangaro • Kannada: ಅಡ್ಡಿಕೆಸೊಪ್ಪು Addike soppu ಅಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Attige soppu, ಗಬ್ಬು ಸಣ್ಣ ಶಾವಂತಿ Gabbu sanna shaavanthi, ನೆಟ್ಟ ಗಬ್ಬು ಶಾವಂತಿ Netta gabbu shaavanthi, ತೀಕೆ Teeke • Malayalam: ചിരവനാക്ക് cheeravanakk, കുമ്മിണിപ്പച്ച kumminippachcha, കുറികൂട്ടിചീര kurikutticheera, മുകുത്തി പൂ mukutti pu, മുറിയമ്പച്ചില muriyampachchila, ഒടിയൻ‌ചീര otiyacheera, റെയിൽ‌പൂച്ചെടി reyipuchcheti, സാനിപൂവ് sanipuv, തേളുക്കുത്തി telukkutti • Marathi: बंदुकीचे फूल bandukiche phul, दगडी पाला dagadi paala, एकदांडी ekdandi, जखमजुडी jakhamjudi, कंबरमोडी kambarmodi • Nepali: हुसुरे झार husure jhaar, कुरकुरे झार kurakure jhaar, पुतली झार putalee jhaar, रम्ने झार ramne jhaar • Odia: ବିଶଲ୍ଯ କରଣୀ bishalya karani • Rajasthani: कागला री मेहंदी kagla ri mehndi • Sanskrit: जयन्ती वेद jayanti veda, क्षुद्र सेवन्तिका kshudra sevantika • Tamil: கிணற்றுப்பாசான் kinarruppacan, வெட்டுக்காயப் பூண்டு vettukkaya-p-puntu • Telugu: గడ్డి చామంతి gaddi chamanthi • Tulu: ನೆಲ ಸೆವಂತಿಗೆ nela sevanthige Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Tridax procumbens    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

This pretty daisy-like flower is very common all over the plains of northern India. Tridax daisy stands about 30-60 cm high and has slightly hairy stems. The leaves are ovate or lanceolate with toothed edges. The small creamy or white flower has five petals which are notched on the outer edges. The centre of the flower is yellow. This plant has flowers all the year around, but from May to December is the time that it is fully in bloom. It is found along paths, roadsides and in the crevices of walls and rocks. It is a great favourite with low flying butterflies. In the areas where there is a great concentration of these flowers one will find plenty of butterflies too. Its fruit is a hard achene covered with stiff hairs and having a feathery, plumelike white pappus at one end. Calyx is represented by scales or reduced to pappus. Tridax daisy is native to Mexico to Tropical America, but has naturalized in Eastern Himalaya, India, Africa and Australia.

Identification credit: Shaista Ahmad Photographed in Delhi & Pelling, Sikkim.

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