''Cephalaria'' is a genus of about 65 species 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 in the family

Caprifoliaceae The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and ea ...

, native to southern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, western and central

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, and northern and southern

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. They are

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

perennial 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 wide ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

plants growing to 0.8–2 m tall. ''Cephalaria'' species 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. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species including '' Schinia imperialis'', which feeds exclusively on ''C. procera''. Selected species: *'' Cephalaria alpina'' (L.) Roem. & Schult. *'' Cephalaria ambrosioides'' (Sibth. & Sm.) Roem. & Schult. *'' Cephalaria anatolica'' Shkhiyan *'' Cephalaria aristata'' C.Koch *'' Cephalaria coriacea'' (Willd.) Roem. & Schult. ex Steud. *'' Cephalaria flava'' (Sibth. & Sm.) Szabó *'' Cephalaria gigantea'' (Ledeb.) Bobrov – Tatarian Cephalaria *''

Cephalaria joppica ''Cephalaria'' is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa. They are annual plant, annual or perennial plant, perennial he ...

'' (Spreng.) Bég. *'' Cephalaria laevigata'' (Waldst. & Kit.) Schrad. *''

Cephalaria leucantha ''Cephalaria leucantha'' is a species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae. Description ''Cephalaria leucantha'' grows to in height. This hardy perennial plant has a long stem with divided, fern-like leaves. It produces white or pal ...

'' (L.) Roem. & Schult. *'' Cephalaria linearifolia'' Lange *'' Cephalaria litvinovii'' Bobrov *'' Cephalaria pastricensis'' Dörfl. & Hayek *''

Cephalaria radiata ''Cephalaria'' is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa. They are annual or perennial herbaceous plants growing to 0.8 ...

'' Griseb. & Schenk *'' Cephalaria setulifera'' Boiss. & Heldr. *'' Cephalaria squamiflora'' (Sieber) Greuter *'' Cephalaria scabra'' (L.f.) Roem. & Schult. *''

Cephalaria syriaca ''Cephalaria'' is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa. They are annual or perennial herbaceous plants growing to 0.8� ...

'' (L.) Roem. & Schult. – Syrian Cephalaria *'' Cephalaria tchihatchewii'' Boiss. *'' Cephalaria transylvanica'' (L.) Roem. & Schult. *'' Cephalaria uralensis'' (Murray) Roem. & Schult.

Cultivation and uses

Some species are grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

s in gardens. The most popular species is ''C. gigantea'', a perennial species from the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

growing to 2 m tall, valued for its strong erect growth with dark green foliage and yellow flowers.

References

Caprifoliaceae genera {{Dipsacales-stub

Cultivation and uses

See also

References