| Gorteria | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gorteria diffusa | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Vernonioideae |
| Tribe: | Arctotideae |
| Subtribe: | Gorteriinae |
| Genus: | Gorteria L. (1759) |
| Type species | |
| Gorteria personata L.
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Gorteria is a genus of small annual herbaceous plants or shrubs that is assigned to the daisy family (Compositae or Asteraceae). It includes 12 species native to eastern and southern Africa, ranging from Ethiopia to South Africa.[1] Like in almost all Asteraceae, the individual flowers are 5-merous, small and clustered in typical heads, and are surrounded by an involucre, consisting of in this case several whorls of bracts, which are merged at their base. In Gorteria, the centre of the head is taken by relatively few bisexual and sometimes also male, yellow to orange disc florets, and is surrounded by one complete whorl of 5–14 infertile cream to dark orange ray florets, sometimes with a few ray florets nearer to the centre. None, some or all of them may have darker spots at their base. The fruits remain attached to their common base when ripe, and it is the entire head that breaks free from the plant. One or few seeds germinate inside the flower head which can be found at the foot of plants during their first year. The species flower between August and October, except for G. warmbadica that blooms mostly in May and June. The species of the genus Gorteria can be found in Namibia and South Africa.[2]
- ^ a b "Gorteria L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Stångberg, Frida; Anderberg, Arne A. (2014). "Morphology and taxonomic reclassification of Gorteria (Asteraceae)". Willdenowia. 44 (1): 97–120. doi:10.3372/wi.44.44112. JSTOR 24750917.