''Actinotus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants ...

, subfamily

Mackinlayoideae Mackinlayoideae is a subfamily of plants containing about nine genera. In the APG II system it was treated at family rank as Mackinlayaceae, but since then it has been reclassified as a subfamily of Apiaceae. ''Platysace'', which has been placed ...

, with about 18 species. It is native to

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

. Its best known member is the

flannel flower ''Actinotus helianthi'', known as the flannel flower, is a common species of flowering plant native to the bushland around Sydney. It was named and first described by the French botanist Jacques Labillardière in his ''Novae Hollandiae Plantarum ...

, a common sight in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

bushland in the spring. The generic name, meaning "furnished with rays" is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

stem ''aktin-''/ακτιν- "ray" or "sunbeam". Most species are endemic to Australia with one from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Other notable species are '' A. schwarzii'' from the

Macdonnell Ranges The MacDonnell Ranges, or Tjoritja in Arrernte, is a mountain range located in southern Northern Territory. MacDonnell Ranges is also the name given to an interim Australian bioregion broadly encompassing the mountain range, with an area of .< ...

Central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and i ...

, which closely resembles ''A. helianthi'' in appearance, and the rare pink-flowering '' A. forsythii'' from the Blue Mountains. The genus was established by the French botanist

Jacques Labillardière Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière (28 October 1755 – 8 January 1834) was a French biologist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the Jean-François de Galaup, comte ...

with his description of ''A. helianthi'' on page 67 of the first volume of his ''

Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen ''Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen'' is a two-volume work describing the flora of Australia. Facsimiles of the originals can be found in the onlinBiodiversity Heritage Library (Vol.1)anVol 2) The author was the French botanist Jacques Labillar ...

''. However the habitat statement is anomalous and according to historian

Edward Duyker Edward Duyker (born 21 March 1955) is an Australian historian, biographer and author born in Melbourne. Edward Duyker's books include several ethno-histories – ''Tribal Guerrillas'' (1987), ''The Dutch in Australia'' (1987) and ''Of the Star ...

Labillardière could not have collected the type specimen personally and might have received it from

Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour Jean-Baptiste Louis Claude Théodore Leschenault de La Tour (13 November 1773 – 14 March 1826) was a French botanist and ornithologist. Born at the family seat (since 1718), Le Villard, near Chalon-sur-Saône, Leschenault de la Tour arrived in ...

botanist on the expedition of

Nicolas Baudin Nicolas Thomas Baudin (; 17 February 1754 – 16 September 1803) was a French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer, most notable for his explorations in Australia and the southern Pacific. Biography Early career Born a comm ...

or another early French visitor to New South Wales.Duyker ''Citizen Labillardière''(2003) p. 232. Its closest relative is ''

Apiopetalum ''Apiopetalum'' is a genus of plant in the family Apiaceae, comprising 2 species. They are small trees, reaching 6 m in height, and have simple leaves. The genus is endemic to New Caledonia. Its closest relative is the Australian ''Actinotus ...

'' from

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. Species include: *'' Actinotus bellidioides'' (Hook.f.) Benth. *'' Actinotus forsythii'' Maiden & Betche *'' Actinotus gibbonsii'' F.Muell. *'' Actinotus glomeratus'' Benth. *''

Actinotus helianthi ''Actinotus helianthi'', known as the flannel flower, is a common species of flowering plant native to the bushland around Sydney. It was named and first described by the French botanist Jacques Labillardière in his ''Novae Hollandiae Plantarum ...

'' Labill. *'' Actinotus humilis'' (F.Muell. & Tate) Domin *'' Actinotus laxus'' Keighery *'' Actinotus leucocephalus'' Benth. *'' Actinotus minor'' (Sm.) DC. *'' Actinotus moorei'' F.Muell. ex Rodway *'' Actinotus novae-zelandiae'' (Petrie) Petrie *'' Actinotus omnifertilis'' (F.Muell.) Benth. *'' Actinotus paddisonii'' R.T.Baker *'' Actinotus rhomboideus'' (Turcz.) Benth. *'' Actinotus schwarzii'' F.Muell. *''

Actinotus suffocatus ''Actinotus suffocatus'', the crimson flannelflower, is a small, perennial herb endemic to the Australian State of Tasmania. It is primarily found in high-elevation habitats in wet situations, except in the far south-west of the island, where it ...

'' (Hook.f.) Rodway *'' Actinotus superbus'' O.H.Sarg.

References

Apiaceae genera Flora of Australasia {{Apiaceae-stub