Biology:Cassinia

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Short description: Genus of flowering plants

Cassinia
Cassinia trinerva.jpg
Cassinia trinerva
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Gnaphalieae
Genus: Cassinia
R.Br. nom. cons.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Achromolaena Cass. nom. alt.
  • Chromochiton Cass.
  • Helichrysum sect. Cassinia (R.Br.) Baill.
Cough bush (Cassinia laevis), Northern Tablelands, NSW

Cassinia is a genus of about fifty-two species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae that are native to Australia and New Zealand. Plants in the genus Cassinia are shrubs, sometimes small trees with leaves arranged alternately, and heads of white, cream-coloured, yellow or pinkish flowers surrounded by several rows of bracts.

Description

Plants in the genus Cassinia are shrubs or small trees, sometimes with sticky foliage. The leaves are arranged alternately, the edges flat to strongly rolled under, and the flowers white to cream-coloured, yellow or pinkish, arranged in heads, the heads in cylindrical, top-shaped or bell-shaped corymbs. The heads are surrounded by several rows of usually erect, boat-shaped bracts. The florets are bisexual and cylindrical with five lobes and the cypselas are small and usually have a pappus of bristles.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

The genus Cassinia was first formally described in 1817 by Robert Brown in his book Observations on the Natural Family of Plants called Compositae.[5][6] Brown had previously used the name Cassinia in the second edition of the Hortus Kewensis but the name was not validly published because no species was described.[7][8]

The genus was named for French botanist Alexandre de Cassini.[9]

Species list

The following is a list of species accepted by Plants of the World Online as of May 2021:[10]


References


Wikidata ☰ Q2702870 entry