This is an extremely attractive wildflower which grows commonly on arable land, roadsides, and cultivated, lime-free soil. It is an annual which grows to about 50cm high and whose greyish stems bear solitary golden yellow flowers (30-50mm across) The daisy-like flowers, which bloom from May to October, have flat, golden-orange centres of disc florets which are surrounded by broad, overlapping deep yellow ray florets. The lower leaves are fleshy, pinnately lobed, alternate and stalked, the upper clasp the stem. This plant is thought to have been introduced to Ireland and it belongs to the family Asteraceae.
My first record of this wildflower is from 1978 when I found it at Newcastle, Co Wicklow and I photographed it thirty years later near Greystones, Co Wicklow.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
