Tuberaria

Tuberaria
Tuberaria guttata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Cistaceae
Genus: Tuberaria
(Dunal) Spach (1836)
Type species
Helianthemum tuberaria
(L.) Mill.
Synonyms[1]
  • Diatelia Demoly (2011)
  • Therocistus Holub (1986)
  • Xolantha Raf. (1810)
  • Xolanthes Raf. (1838)

Tuberaria is a genus of about 12 species of annual or perennial plants in the rockrose family Cistaceae, native to western and southern Europe. They occur on dry, stony sites, often close to the sea.

The leaves are in a rosette at the base of the plant, and then in opposite pairs up the stem; they are simple oval, 2–5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad. The flowers are 2–5 cm diameter, with five petals, yellow with a red spot at the base of each petal, the red spot acting as a 'target' for pollinating insects.

Tuberaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Coleophora case-bearers C. confluella (recorded on T. guttata) and C. helianthemella (recorded on T. lignosa).

  1. ^ "Tuberaria (Dunal) Spach". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 19 September 2024.