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- Tagetes erecta
Tagetes erecta — Aztec marigold
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Aztec marigold has been collected in the wild only in Massachusetts, but cultivars of this annual plant, in a range of sizes and colors, are popular garden flowers, and may persist after planting. It is native to Mexico and Central America, where it has long been used as a medicinal herb and dye plant.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 30–250 mm
- Flower head width
- 6–10 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 6-10
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there is one main cycle of bracts
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- at least some flower heads have bracts connected to one another at or near their bases
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
-
- green to brown
- orange
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 6-10
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head position
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- Flower head profile
-
- the disk is conical across the top
- the disk is rounded across the top
- Flower head shape
- the sides of the flower head are roughly parallel, like a cylinder
- Flower head width
- 6–10 mm
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 13–19 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- NA
- Inflorescence stem
- the stem of the inflorescence is not hairy
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 5–8
- Ovary cross-section
-
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
-
- the ovary has hairs on it, but the hairs have no glands
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
-
- the ovary has hairs on it
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is another shape
- Peduncle length
- 30–150 mm
- Ray flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
-
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- there are neither carpels nor stamens in the ray flowers
- Ray flowers
-
- 1-5
- more than 50
- Ray length
- 20–40 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Width of flower head base
- 13–20 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
-
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 6.5–10 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 2–12 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- there are two distinct lengths of pappus hairs
- Seed tuft scale number
- 3–7
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of flat scales that are not split or frayed at the tips
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 15–60 mm
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 20–100 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 30–250 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
- the leaf has lobes that themselves have lobes, and these secondary lobes also have lobes; there may be more than three levels of lobes
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has a pleasant odor, such as licorice, fruit or resin
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- NA
- Stem internode hair length
- 0 mm
- Stem internode hair type
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Tagetes patula:
- peduncles not or only scarcely swollen, capitula 3.5–6 cm wide, and corollas partly or entirely red-orange (vs. T. erecta, with peduncles swollen, capitula 6–10 cm wide, and corollas yellow or orange).
Synonyms
- Tagetes major Gaertn.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Tagetes erecta L. E
Aztec marigold. Tagetes major Gaertn. • MA; also reported from CT by Magee and Ahles (1999), but specimens are unknown. Roadsides, fields, waste areas.