''Baccharis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

perennials A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

and

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from tree ...

s in the aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true

broom A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...

s. They are not at all related to these however, but belong to an entirely different lineage of

eudicot The eudicots, Eudicotidae, or eudicotyledons are a clade of flowering plants mainly characterized by having two seed leaves upon germination. The term derives from Dicotyledons. Traditionally they were called tricolpates or non-magnoliid dico ...

s. '' B. halimifolia'' is commonly known as "groundsel bush", however true groundsels are found in the genus ''

Senecio ''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels. Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Description Mor ...

''. ''Baccharis'', with over 500 species, is the largest genus in the Asteraceae. It is found throughout the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

, distributed mainly in the warmer regions of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

, with ''B. halimifolia'' ranging northward along the Atlantic Coast to the southern tip of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. If present, the leaves of ''Baccharis'' are borne along the stems in alternate fashion. Flowers are usually white or pinkish. There are no ray flowers, but many disk flowers which are either staminate or pistillate. Some species of ''Baccharis'' are toxic to animals; in particular, consumption of ''B. coridifolia'' may lead to

necrosis Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated diges ...

in the

gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

of cattle, horses, sheep, and rabbits. The genus ''Baccharis'' is named after Bacchus (Dionysus), the Roman god of wine.

Classification

''Baccharis'' is related to the genera ''

Archibaccharis ''Archibaccharis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. ; Species ''Archibaccharis'' is native to Mexico and Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries ...

'' and ''

Heterothalamus ''Heterothalamus'' is a genus of South American flowering plants in the daisy family. ; Species * '' Heterothalamus alienus'' (Spreng.) Kuntze - Brazil ( Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), Uruguay, Argentina ( Córdoba, La Rioja La Rioja ...

''. All baccharis are

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...

except

Baccharis monoica ''Baccharis monoica'' is a species or subspecies of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is the only non-dioecious species in the genus ''Baccharis'', it is a monoecious species. It can be found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hond ...

Ecology

''Baccharis'' are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

species, such as the

swift moth The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. Taxonomy and systematics The Hepialidae constitute by far the most diverse group of the infraorder Exo ...

s '' Phymatopus californicus'' and '' P. hectoides''. Those of the

leaf-miner A leaf miner is any one of numerous species of insects in which the larval stage lives in, and eats, the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths (Lepidoptera), sawflies (Symphyta, the mother clade of wasps) ...

moths '' Bucculatrix dominatrix'' and '' B. seperabilis'' feed exclusively on bush baccharis (''B. pilularis''), '' B. ivella'' has been found on eastern baccharis, and '' B. variabilis'' is a

polyphagous Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ...

species which has been recorded on various ''Baccharis''. The ''

Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors ...

'' case-bearers '' C. linosyridella'' and '' C. viscidiflorella'' are polyphagous species whose larvae have been recorded on the Bush Baccharis as well as other plants.

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sy ...

s of the owlet moth '' Schinia ocularis'' feed exclusively on Broom Baccharis (''B. sarothroides'').

Uses

Several species of ''Baccharis'' are of interest for cultivation, as the dense but flexible stem structure makes for a good

windbreak A windbreak (shelterbelt) is a planting usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted in hedgerows around the edges ...

. Plants of this genus are rich in

terpene Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ...

s, and some are used in native or

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

. One that has been specifically described from Chilean and Argentinean ''Baccharis'' is viscidone. ''Baccharis'' flowers are rich in

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualist ...

, and several species are good honey plants. Particularly '' B. dracunculifolia'' is highly esteemed by beekeepers.

Conservation

A few ''Baccharis'' species (especially from the northern

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

) are almost

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

due to

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

. The northernmost occurrence of ''B. halimifolia'', in Nova Scotia, Canada, is also receiving conservation attention.

Invasiveness

Some ''Baccharis'' species, particularly Eastern baccharis (''B. halimifolia''), have become invasive weeds in places such as Australia and Spain, where they are not native.

Selected species

For the complete list of species see List of Baccharis species. * '' Baccharis acutata'' (Alain) Borhidi * '' Baccharis alaternoides'' Kunth * '' Baccharis albida'' Hook. & Arn. * '' Baccharis × alboffii'' F.H.Hellw. * '' Baccharis albolanosa'' A.S.Oliveira & Deble * '' Baccharis aliena'' (Spreng.) Joch.Müll. * '' Baccharis alleluia'' A.S.Oliveira & Deble * '' Baccharis alnifolia'' Meyen & Walp. * '' Baccharis alpestris'' Gardner * '' Baccharis alpina'' Kunth * '' Baccharis altimontana'' G.Heiden, Baumgratz & R.Esteves * '' Baccharis amambayensis'' Zardini & Soria * '' Baccharis anabelae'' (Deble) G.Heiden * '' Baccharis angusticeps'' Dusén ex Malme * '' Baccharis angustifolia'' Michaux * '' Baccharis anomala'' DC. * '' Baccharis antioquensis'' Killip & Cuatrec. * '' Baccharis × antucensis'' F.H.Hellw. * '' Baccharis aphylla'' DC. * '' Baccharis apicifoliosa'' A.A.Schneid. & Boldrini * '' Baccharis aracatubensis'' Malag. & Hatschb. ex G.M.Barroso * '' Baccharis arbutifolia''(Lam.) Vahl * '' Baccharis × arcuata'' F.H.Hellw. * '' Baccharis arenaria'' Baker * '' Baccharis aretioides'' Turcz. * '' Baccharis artemisioides'' Hook. & Arn. * ''

Baccharis articulata ''Baccharis articulata'' is a species of shrub in the family Asteraceae. The species was first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, but was later reclassified by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1807. The species is used for a variety of medical use ...

'' (Lam.) Pers. * '' Baccharis auriculigera'' Hieron. * '' Baccharis × australis'' F.H.Hellw. * ''

Baccharis axillaris ''Baccharis halimifolia'' is a North American species of shrubs in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Nova Scotia, the eastern and southern United States (from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma), eastern Mexico (Nu ...

'' DC. * '' Baccharis ayacuchensis'' Cuatrec. * '' Baccharis barragensis'' Cuatrec. * '' Baccharis beckii'' Joch.Müll. * ''

Baccharis bicolor ''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennial plant, perennials and shrubs in the Asteraceae, aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling ...

'' (Joch.Müll.) G.Heiden * '' Baccharis bifrons Baker * '' Baccharis bigelovii'' A.Gray * '' Baccharis bogotensis'' Kunth * '' Baccharis boliviensis (Wedd.) Cabrera * '' Baccharis boyacensis'' Cuatrec. * '' Baccharis brachylaenoides'' DC. * '' Baccharis brachyphylla'' A.Gray * '' Baccharis brachystachys'' (Baker) Malag. & J.Vidal * '' Baccharis brevifolia'' DC. * '' Baccharis brevipappa'' (McVaugh) G.L.Nesom * '' Baccharis breviseta'' DC. * '' Baccharis buchtienii'' H.Rob. * '' Baccharis burchellii'' Baker * '' Baccharis buxifolia'' Pers. * '' Baccharis cabrerae'' Ariza * '' Baccharis caespitosa'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. * '' Baccharis concava'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. * '' Baccharis dioica'' * '' Baccharis douglasii'' DC. – Saltmarsh baccharis, Douglas' baccharis * '' Baccharis dracunculifolia'' DC. * '' Baccharis eggersii'' Hieron. * '' Baccharis emoryi'' A.Gray * '' Baccharis fusca'' Turcz. * '' Baccharis genistelloides'' Pers. * '' Baccharis glomeruliflora'' * '' Baccharis glutinosa'' * '' Baccharis gracilis'' DC. * ''

Baccharis halimifolia ''Baccharis halimifolia'' is a North American species of shrubs in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Nova Scotia, the eastern and southern United States (from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma), eastern Mexico (Nu ...

'' L. – Eastern baccharis, groundsel bush, groundsel tree, consumption weed, cotton-seed tree, silverling * '' Baccharis hambatensis'' Kunth * '' Baccharis havardii'' * '' Baccharis hieronymi'' Heering * '' Baccharis huairacajensis'' Hieron. * '' Baccharis humilis'' Sch.Bip. ex Baker * '' Baccharis intermedia'' DC. * '' Baccharis intermixta'' Gardner * '' Baccharis juncea'' (Lehm.) Desf. * '' Baccharis klattii'' Benoist * '' Baccharis ligustrina'' DC. * ''

Baccharis linearis ''Baccharis linearis'', the romerillo or Chilean little rosemary, is a common shrub in Central Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, ...

'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. – Chilean romerillo * '' Baccharis macraei'' Hook. & Arn. * '' Baccharis malibuensis'' R.M.Beauch. & J.Henrickson * '' Baccharis microdonta'' DC. * '' Baccharis myrsinites'' * '' Baccharis neglecta'' * '' Baccharis odorata'' – Tayanka bush * '' Baccharis patagonica'' * ''

Baccharis pilularis ''Baccharis pilularis'', called coyote brush (or bush), chaparral broom, and bush baccharis, is a shrub in the family Asteraceae native to California, Oregon, Washington, and Baja California. There are reports of isolated populations in New Me ...

'' DC. – Bush baccharis, coyote brush, coyote bush, chaparral broom * '' Baccharis platypoda'' DC. * '' Baccharis plummerae'' A.Gray * '' Baccharis pteronioides'' * '' Baccharis punctulata'' DC. * ''

Baccharis racemosa ''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennial plant, perennials and shrubs in the Asteraceae, aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling ...

'' (Ruiz & Pav.) DC. * '' Baccharis rhomboidalis'' Remy * '' Baccharis sagittalis'' * ''

Baccharis salicifolia ''Baccharis salicifolia'' is a blooming shrub native to the sage scrub community and desert southwest of the United States and northern Mexico, as well as parts of South America. Its usual common name is mule fat;Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam M ...

'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. – Mulefat, seep-willow, water-wally * '' Baccharis salicina'' * ''

Baccharis sarothroides ''Baccharis sarothroides'' is a North American species of flowering shrub known by the common names broom baccharis, desertbroom, greasewood, rosin-bush and groundsel in English and "escoba amarga" or "romerillo" in Spanish. This is a spreading, ...

'' A.Gray – Broom baccharis, Desert broom * '' Baccharis semiserrata'' DC. * '' Baccharis sergiloides'' A.Gray – Desert baccharis * '' Baccharis serrula'' Sch.Bip. * '' Baccharis sessifolia'' L. * '' Baccharis sphaerocephala'' * '' Baccharis spicata'' (Lam.) Baill. * '' Baccharis texana'' * '' Baccharis thesioides'' * ''

Baccharis tricuneata ''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennial plant, perennials and shrubs in the Asteraceae, aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling ...

'' (L.f.) Pers. * '' Baccharis tridentata'' Vahl * ''

Baccharis trimera ''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are ...

'' (Less.) DC. * '' Baccharis uncinella'' DC. * '' Baccharis vanessae'' R.M.Beauch. * '' Baccharis wrightii'' – Wright's false willow * '' Baccharis wurdackeana'' Malag. * '' Baccharis xiphophylla'' Baker * '' Baccharis zamoranensis'' Rzed. * '' Baccharis zamudiorum'' Rzed. * '' Baccharis zoellneri'' F.H.Hellw. * '' Baccharis zongoensis'' Joch.Müll. * '' Baccharis zumbadorensis'' V.M.Badillo

Formerly placed in ''Baccharis''

The following species are among the many that were considered to belong within ''Baccharis'' but are now classified in other genera: * '' Isocoma veneta'' (Kunth) Greene (as ''B. veneta'' Kunth) * '' Pluchea foetida'' (L.) DC. (as ''B. foetida'' L.) * '' Pluchea indica'' (L.) Less. (as ''B. indica'' L.) * '' Ozothamnus hookeri'' Sond. (as ''B. lepidophylla'' DC.) * '' Vernonanthura brasiliana'' (L.) H.Rob. (as ''B. brasiliana'' L.) * '' Vernonanthura montevidensis'' (Spreng.) H.Rob. (as ''B. montevidensis'' Spreng.)

References

Bibliography

External links

* Pictures o
''Baccharis rhomboidalis''
an

growing in Chile. * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q133834 Asteraceae genera Dioecious plants