Kanak Gol / Mexican Sunflower
Tithonia diversifolia
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- September-May
How to identify Kanak Gol
Identify Kanak Gol by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf shape: Ovate.
- Confirm flower colour: Orange.
- Confirm fruit type: Achene.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: September-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Tithonia diversifolia
- Genus
- Tithonia
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Native to
- Tropical south America
- Distribution
- Introduced in tropics
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Puducherry, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The leaves of the plant alternate in sides they grow on, which is where the plant gets the name diversifolia.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Leaves are sub-ovate, serrate, acute, 10 to 40 cm long, simply or mostly 3-7 lobed, somewhat glandular, and slightly grayish beneath.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“Leaves are sub-ovate, serrate, acute, 10 to 40 cm long, simply or mostly 3-7 lobed, somewhat glandular, and slightly grayish beneath.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kanak Gol itself; the rest are typical of the Asteraceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Orangerecorded
- Fruit type
- AchenerecordedA small, dry, single-seeded fruit that does not split open.“The seeds are achenes, 4-angled, and 5mm long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Head
- Fruit
- Achene
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kanak Gol itself; the rest are typical of the Asteraceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Nepali
- काँडे पुतली फूल Kaande Putalee Phool
- Tamil
- காட்டுச் சூரியகாந்தி
- Marathi
- कनकगोल Kanak gol
About Kanak Gol
A member of the Asteraceae family, Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) is a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and 15 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from September to May.
Uses
It is harvested for fodder.
Asteraceae
Daisy/Sunflower family
Kanak Gol belongs to the Asteraceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Asteraceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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