Peruvian Zinnia

Zinnia peruviana, the Peruvian zinnia, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to South America.

 Zinnia peruviana is an annual plant up to 50 cm tall (rarely 100 cm tall). The stems are green, but later become yellow or purple. The leaves are ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, 2.5–7 cm long and 8–3.5 cm wide; 3- to 5-nerved. The peduncles are 1–7 cm long. Flower heads with 6–21 red, maroon or yellow ray florets (with a 0.8–2.5 cm long petal each) surrounding 12–50 yellow disc florets (with 0.1 cm long corolla lobes). Fruits (cypselae) oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 0.7–1 cm long, 3-angled or compressed, striate.

Distribution and habitat: The native range of Z. peruviana spans from southeastern Arizona and the Greater Antilles south to Argentina. It grows mostly on open areas or rocky slopes between 800–3000 m of elevation.

It has been introduced to and naturalized in many places such as China, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Australia, South Africa and Hawaii.