Gnaphalium L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 850 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temperate & Subtropical.

Descriptions

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit
Perennial or annual herbs, woolly in most parts; stems weak
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, mostly narrow, margins flat, eglandular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula terminal or in terminal racemes, disciform, few together, sometimes surrounded by a whorl of leaves; stalks of individual capitula usually absent; phyllaries in few series, brownish, flat, stereome undivided or with a few streaks, distal part of lamina (at least in inner series) opaque or pellucid; receptacle epaleate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Outer florets yellow or cream, female; inner florets hermaphrodite, fewer than the outer, yellow (rarely mauve), lobes hairy, style branches truncate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes glabrous or hairy, not mucilaginous; pappus of barbellate bristles in 1 row, coherent by the basal cilia, caducous with the floret.
[FTEA]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial, soft densely grey or tawny tomentose herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually spatulate or oblanceolate, margins flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence spicate or corymbose, individual capitula discrete, usually sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula small, heterogamous, disciform; phyllaries few-seriate, stereome undivided; receptacle flat, epaleaceous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Female florets numerous, filiform, corollas yellow or cream; hermaphrodite florets fewer, corollas cylindrical, yellow (rarely mauve), corolla lobes apically hairy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Apical anther appendages flat; style arms truncate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes small, ellipsoidal, brown, glabrous or with short subglobose duplex hairs, hairs not mucilaginous; pappus uniseriate, white, bristles free or coherent into a basal ring persistent (not in Iraq) or deciduous, sometimes absent in female florets.
Distribution
A genus of ± 80 species world-wide, rather artificially separated from Helichrysum on the grounds of a greater number of female than hermaphrodite florets. In practice Gnaphalium species are drab and small-headed while those of Helichrysum are brighter coloured and relatively large-headed. One species in Iraq.
Etymology
The English common name for this genus is Cudweed (from the soft down, – γναφάλιον, gnaphalion, Gr. – with which the leaves are covered; it is also one of a group of plants sometimes known as Everlasting.
[FIQ]

Sources

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0