Galinsoga

Haired galinsoga ( Galinsoga ciliata )

The button herbs ( Galinsoga ) are a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). The scientific genus name refers to Ignacio Mariano Martinez de Lazi (1766-1797), physician to the Spanish Court and founder of the Botanical Garden of Madrid.

Description

In Galinsoga species are often only small, annual herbaceous plant, reaching heights of growth 2-62 cm depending on the type. The constantly against the stem are arranged distributed leaves are stalked and easy. The leaf edges are smooth to cut. Leaf surfaces are different hairy intense.

The usually small bloom conditions stand together in total branched inflorescences. The six to nine, rarely up to 16 bracts are in usually two, rarely three rows. The inflorescence is cone-shaped bottom. Remain intact leaves or chaff are transient. The flower baskets usually contain five, sometimes three to eight, rarely none to 15 ray florets and usually five to 50 rarely up to 150 florets. The female, fertile florets are relatively short and white to pink or purple border with the tongues with up to three Kronlappen. The yellow tubular flowers are hermaphrodite and fertile. The anthers are yellow.

The pappus of the achenes is small and consists of five to twenty white or gray scales and is hardly visible or absent.

Systematics and distribution

The distribution of the genus Galinsoga are tropical and subtropical regions of the New World ( Neotropics ). Some species have been abducted but from people all over the world ( neophytes ).

The genus Galinsoga now belongs to the tribe Millerieae in the subfamily of herbaceous within the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). The first publication of the genus Galinsoga took place in 1794 by Hipólito Ruiz López and José Antonio Pavón y Jiménez in Florae peru vianae et chilensis prodromus ..., 110, plate 24 synonyms for Galinsoga Ruiz & Pav are Adventina Raf. and Stemmatella Wedd. ex Benth ..

Depending on the view, there are 10 to more than 33 Galinsoga species. Of these two very similar species in Central Europe come as a neophyte before, and although quite often as unpopular with gardeners " Weeds ":

• Haired galinsoga, ciliated galinsoga or shaggy French herb ( Ruiz & Pavón Galinsoga quadriradiata, Syn. Adventina ciliata Raf, Galinsoga ciliata ( Raf. ) SFBlake )
• Hoary galinsoga or Hoary French herb ( Galinsoga parviflora Cav. )

Swell

• Judith M. Canne - Hilliker: Galinsoga in the Flora of North America, Volume 21, p 180: Online.
• Entry in GRIN.