''Bedfordia'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s belonging to the family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

. The genus includes 3 species, all

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

''Bedfordia'' are shrubs or small trees. ;Stems and leaves: The young branches and lower surface of leaves and the whorl that surrounds the flower heads are densely covered with short matted and

stellate Stellate, meaning star-shaped, may refer to: * Stellate cell * Stellate ganglion * Stellate reticulum * Stellate veins * Stellate trichomes (hairs) on plants * Stellate laceration or incision Wound#Open * Stellate fan-shaped Espalier (one form ...

hairs. :Leaves grow first on one side and then on the other in two ranks along the branches; not paired. Leaf edges are entire or with irregular rounded scallops, and have leaf stalks. ;Flowers: Heads in dense axillary branched cluster which is shorter than the leaves. Flower heads have a flat circular shape; and are surrounded by a hairy bract which is at base. Tubular, bisexual florets, scarcely longer than the bract. ;Fruits and reproduction: Cylindrical, grooved and not hairy

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...

s. Pappus bristles are finely toothed and twice as long as achenes. ''B. salicina'' intergrades with ''B. arborescens'' (a tree) and ''B. linearis'' (a shrub).

Taxonomy

The genus was first formally described by Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in the second volume of ''Archives de Botanique'' in 1833. The genus name honours John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford. ;Species *''

Bedfordia arborescens ''Bedfordia arborescens'', known as the blanket leaf, is a shrub or small tree of south eastern Australia. It occurs in or around temperate rainforests in areas of high altitude. The natural range of distribution on the mainland is from the Otway ...

'' (tree blanket leaf) - eastern

**''Senecio bedfordii'' F.Muell *''

Bedfordia linearis ''Bedfordia linearis'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Bedfordia''. This species is accepted. This species is common amongst dry forests and is classified as a shrub. The leaves it grows varies from different sizes, from forms that ...

'' (slender blanket leaf) -

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

**''Cacalia linearis'' Labill. **''Culcitium lineare'' (Labill.) Spreng. **''Senecio billardierei'' F.Muell. *''

Bedfordia salicina ''Bedfordia salicina'', commonly known as Tasmanian blanketleaf, is an Endemism, endemic Flowering plant, angiosperm of Tasmania, Australia. It is widespread throughout wet sclerophyll forests, moist gullies and intermediate forests and woodlands ...

'' DC. (blanket leaf) -

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

**''Cacalia salicina'' Labill. **''Culcitium salicinum'' (Labill.) Spreng.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4879236 Senecioneae Endemic flora of Australia Asteraceae genera Taxa named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle