Strawflower
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The strawflower is a flowering plant of the genus Helichrysum in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The type species is Helichrysum orientale. There are an estimated 600 species.
Its name was derived from the Greek words helisso (to turn around) and chrysos (gold).
It occurs in Africa (with 244 species in South Africa), Madagascar, Australasia and Eurasia.
These are annuals, herbaceous perennials or shrubs, growing to a height of 60-90 cm.
The receptacle (base of the flower head) may be smooth, with a fringed margin, or honey-combed.
Their leaves are oblong to lanceolate. They are flat and pubescent on both sides. The bristles of the pappus are scabrous, barbellate, or plumose.
Their flowers resemble daisies. They are much in demand as dried cut flowers. They come in an array of almost all colors, except blue. There are many capitula and generally flat-topped corymbs or panicles. The corolla lobes show glandular hairs at the abaxial surface.
Helichrysum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the bucculaticid leaf-miners Bucculatrix gnaphaliella (which feeds exclusively on Helichrysum arenarium) and Bucculatrix helichrysella (feeds exclusively on H. italicum) and the Coleophora case-bearers C. caelebipennella, C. gnaphalii (feeds exclusively on H arenarium) and C. helichrysiella (feeds exclusively on H. italicum).
Species
Hilllard (1983) divided this large and heterogenous genus in 30 morphological groups. But this genus is controversial and is considered by many as an artificial genus. The taxonomy of the large polymorphic and probably polyphyletic Helichrysum genus is complex and not yet satisfactorily resolved. Several Australian species, such as H. acuminatum and H. bracteatum, have been reclassified in the genus Xerochrysum in 1991, resp. as X. subundulatum and X. bracteatum. In 1989, misaligned species of Helichrysum were reclassified in Syncarpha. Species included in Pseudognaphalium are probably congeneric with Helichrysum.
A recircumscription of this genus is in order.
- Helichrysum abrotaniforme
- Helichrysum acuminatum
- Helichrysum acutatum : Sticky Everlasting
- Helichrysum adenocarpum : Pink Everlasting, Red Everlasting
- Helichrysum adenophorum
- Helichrysum adnatum
- Helichrysum adonidiforme
- Helichrysum aggregatum
- Helichrysum alatum
- Helichrysum albicans
- Helichrysum allioides
- Helichrysum alpinum
- Helichrysum ambiguum
- Helichrysum amorginum
- Helichrysum angustum
- Helichrysum anomalum
- Helichrysum antennaria
- Helichrysum anthemoides
- Helichrysum apiculatum
- Helichrysum appendiculatum : Sheep's Ears Everlasting
- Helichrysum arenarium : Dwarf Everlasting
- * Helichrysum arenarium ssp. arenarium
- * Helichrysum arenarium ssp. ponticum
- Helichrysum argentissimum
- Helichrysum argyroglottis
- Helichrysum argyrolepis
- Helichrysum argyrophyllum
- Helichrysum argyrosphaerum : Wild Everlasting
- Helichrysum asteroides
- Helichrysum aureonitens : Golden Everlasting
- Helichrysum aureum : Yellow Everlasting
- Helichrysum auriceps
- Helichrysum ayersii
- Helichrysum baccharoides
- Helichrysum backhousei
- Helichrysum banksii
- Helichrysum basedowii
- Helichrysum beckleri
- Helichrysum bicolor
- Helichrysum bidwillii
- Helichrysum bilobum
- Helichrysum blackallii
- Helichrysum blandowskianum
- Helichrysum boormanii
- Helichrysum brachyrhynchum
- Helichrysum bracteatum
- Helichrysum buftonii
- Helichrysum bupthalmoides
- Helichrysum caespititium
- Helichrysum calvertianum
- Helichrysum candolleanum
- Helichrysum cassinioides
- Helichrysum cassiope
- Helichrysum cephaloideum
- Helichrysum cerastioides
- Helichrysum chionosphaerum : Dwarf Everlasting
- Helichrysum chlorochrysum
- Helichrysum cinereum
- Helichrysum cladochaetum
- Helichrysum cochleariforme : Gold-and-silver
- Helichrysum collinum
- Helichrysum conditum
- Helichrysum confertifolium
- Helichrysum cooperi : Yellow Everlasting
- Helichrysum cordatum
- Helichrysum coriaceum
- Helichrysum costatifructum
- Helichrysum crispum
- Helichrysum cunninghamii
- Helichrysum cylindrifolium
- Helichrysum cymosum
- Helichrysum dasyanthum
- Helichrysum dasymallum
- Helichrysum davenportii
- Helichrysum decorum
- Helichrysum diosmifolium
- Helichrysum diotophyllum
- Helichrysum doerfleri
- Helichrysum ecklonis : Ecklon's Everlasting
- Helichrysum epapposum
- Helichrysum eremaeum
- Helichrysum eriocephalum
- Helichrysum erosum
- Helichrysum expansifolium
- Helichrysum felinum : Strawberry Everlasting
- Helichrysum ferrugineum
- Helichrysum filifolium
- Helichrysum flavissimum
- Helichrysum foetidum : Polecat Strawflower, Stinking Strawflower
- Helichrysum formosissimum
- Helichrysum frigidum
- Helichrysum gatesii
- Helichrysum gilesii
- Helichrysum glomeratum
- Helichrysum glutinosum
- Helichrysum gracilescens
- Helichrysum graveolens
- Helichrysum grayi
- Helichrysum griseum
- Helichrysum gymnocomum
- Helichrysum harveyanum
- Helichrysum hebelepis
- Helichrysum heldreichii
- Helichrysum herbaceum : Monkey-tail Everlasting
- Helichrysum hirtoviscosum
- Helichrysum humboldtianum
- Helichrysum hypoleucum
- Helichrysum incanum
- Helichrysum indicum
- Helichrysum inornatum
- Helichrysum insigne
- Helichrysum involucratum
- Helichrysum italicum
- * Helichrysum italicum ssp. italicum
- * Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum
- * Helichrysum italicum ssp. serotinum
- Helichrysum kempei
- Helichrysum kraussii : Straw Everlasting
- Helichrysum krookii
- Helichrysum lanuginosum
- Helichrysum lawrencella
- Helichrysum ledifolium
- Helichrysum lepidophyllum
- Helichrysum leptolepis
- Helichrysum leucocephalum
- Helichrysum leucopsideum
- Helichrysum lindleyi
- Helichrysum lindsayanum
- Helichrysum lucidum
- Helichrysum lucilioides
- Helichrysum lycopodioides
- Helichrysum macivorii
- Helichrysum maidenii
- Helichrysum manglesii
- Helichrysum melanacme
- Helichrysum mellorianum
- Helichrysum milliganii
- Helichrysum mimetes : Curry Everlasting
- Helichrysum moeserianum
- Helichrysum monochaetum
- Helichrysum mundtii
- Helichrysum nanum
- Helichrysum newcastlianum
- Helichrysum niveum
- Helichrysum nudifolium : Hottentot's Tea
- Helichrysum obcordatum
- Helichrysum obovatum
- Helichrysum obtusifolium
- Helichrysum occidentale
- Helichrysum odoratissimum
- Helichrysum oldfieldii
- Helichrysum oligochaetum
- Helichrysum oreophilum
- Helichrysum orientale (type species)
- Helichrysum oxylepis
- Helichrysum pallidum
- Helichrysum panduratum
- Helichrysum paralium
- Helichrysum patulum : Honey Everlasting
- Helichrysum pedunculatum
- Helichrysum petiolare : Licorice Plant
- Helichrysum pholidotum
- Helichrysum pilosellum
- Helichrysum pleurandroides
- Helichrysum plicatum
- Helichrysum podolepidium
- Helichrysum populifolium : Poplar Helichrysum
- Helichrysum porrectum
- Helichrysum pseudoferrugineum
- Helichrysum pseudoturbinatum
- Helichrysum pterochaetum
- Helichrysum pumilio
- Helichrysum purpurascens
- Helichrysum puteale
- Helichrysum ramosissimum
- Helichrysum readeri
- Helichrysum reticulatum
- Helichrysum reflexum : White Everlasting
- Helichrysum retortum
- Helichrysum revolutum
- Helichrysum robustum
- Helichrysum rogersianum
- Helichrysum roseum
- Helichrysum rosum
- Helichrysum ruderale
- Helichrysum rufescens
- Helichrysum rugulosum
- Helichrysum rupestre
- Helichrysum sanguineum : Red everlasting
- Helichrysum sarcodes
- Helichrysum saxatile
- * Helichrysum saxatile ssp. errerae
- * Helichrysum saxatile ssp. saxatile
- Helichrysum scitulum
- Helichrysum scutellifolium
- Helichrysum secundiflorum
- Helichrysum selaginoides
- Helichrysum semiamplexicaule
- Helichrysum semicalvum
- Helichrysum semifertile
- Helichrysum semipapposum
- Helichrysum setosum : Yellow Everlasting
- Helichrysum sibthorpii
- Helichrysum sonderi
- Helichrysum spiceri
- Helichrysum spiralepis
- Helichrysum splendidum : Cape Gold
- Helichrysum stellatum
- Helichrysum stipitatum
- Helichrysum stirlingii
- Helichrysum stoechas
- * Helichrysum stoechas ssp. barrelieri
- * Helichrysum stoechas ssp. stoechas
- Helichrysum stoveae
- Helichrysum subulifolium
- Helichrysum sulcaticaule
- Helichrysum superbum
- Helichrysum sutherlandii
- Helichrysum tasmanicum
- Helichrysum teretifolium
- Helichrysum thianschanicum
- Helichrysum thomsonii
- Helichrysum trilineatum
- Helichrysum tuckeri
- Helichrysum turbinatum
- Helichrysum umbraculigerum
- Helichrysum vagans
- Helichrysum viscosum
- Helichrysum waitzioides
- Helichrysum whitei
References
- HILLIARD, O. 1983. Flora of Southern Africa, Part 7 Inuleae, Fascicle 2 Gnaphaliinae. Government Printer, Pretoria, South Africa.
- WILSON, P.G. 1992c. The classification of some Australian species currently included in elipterum and Helichrysum (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae): part 3 Anemocarpa and Argentipallium, two new genera from Australia. Nuytsia 8: 447–460.
- Mesfin Tadesse & Reilly, T. 1995. 17. A contribution to studies on Helichrysum (Compositae - Gnaphalieae) - a revision of the species of north-east tropical Africa. In: Advances in Compositae Systematics (eds. D.J.H. Hind, C. Jeffrey & G.V. Pope). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, pp. 379-450.
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