Coreopsis Quintet

''Coreopsis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Common names include calliopsis and tickseed, a name shared with various other plants.

Description

These plants range from in height. The flowers are usually yellow with a toothed tip, but may also be yellow-and-red bicolor. They have showy flower heads with involucral bracts in two distinct series of eight each, the outer being commonly connate at the base. The flat fruits are small and dry and look like insects.

There are 75–80 species of ''Coreopsis'', all of which are native to North, Central, and South America. The name ''Coreopsis'' is derived from the Greek words κόρις (''koris''), meaning "bedbug", and ὄψις (''opsis''), meaning "view", referring to the shape of the achene.

Taxonomy

''Coreopsis'' is a variable genus closely related to '' Bidens''. In fact, neither ''Coreopsis'' nor ''Bidens'', as defined in the 20th century, is strictly monophyletic. ''Coreopsis'' is best described as paraphyletic. Previously (1936), ''Coreopsis'' was classified into 11 sections and 114 species, but the African species were subsequently reclassified as ''Bidens'', leaving the North and South American species, some 75–80 in all, under ''Coreopsis''. 45 species are in the 11 North American sections, and the remaining 35 are in the South American section ''Pseudoagarista''. The North American species fall into two broad groups, with 5 sections and 12 species in Mexico and North America and the remaining 5 sections and 26 species in Eastern North America.

One group which does seem to be monophyletic consists of temperate species from North America, including five sections of ''Coreopsis'', ''Bidens coronata'' and '' Bidens tripartita'', and the genus ''Thelesperma'' (five species).

Classification

Sections

One classification (GRIN) of the genus consists of eleven sections, shown by cladistic relationships with number of species in parenthesis.

:''Coreopsis'' sect. ''Pseudoagarista'' (35)

Selected species

See:

= Section Anathysana

=
* '' Coreopsis cyclocarpa'' S.F.Blake

= Section Calliopsis

=
* '' Coreopsis bicolor''
* '' Coreopsis leavenworthii'' Torr. & A.Gray – Leavenworth's tickseed
* '' Coreopsis paludosa'' M.E.Jones
* '' Coreopsis tinctoria'' Nutt. – plains coreopsis

= Section Coreopsis

=
* '' Coreopsis auriculata'' L. – lobed tickseed
* '' Coreopsis bakeri'' E.E.Schill.
* '' Coreopsis basalis'' (A.Dietr.) S.F.Blake – goldenmane tickseed
* '' Coreopsis grandiflora'' Hogg ex Sweet – large-flowered tickseed
* ''Coreopsis intermedia'' Sherff – goldenwave tickseed
* '' Coreopsis lanceolata'' L. – lance coreopsis, lance-leaf tickseed
* '' Coreopsis nuecensis'' A.Heller – crown tickseed
* ''Coreopsis nuecensoides'' E.B.Sm. – Rio Grande tickseed
* ''Coreopsis pubescens'' Elliott – star tickseed
* '' Coreopsis wrightii'' (A.Gray) H.M.Parker – rock tickseed

= Section Electra

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* ''Coreopsis cuneifolia'' Greenm.
* ''Coreopsis mexicana''
* ''Coreopsis mutica'' DC.

= Section Eublepharis

=
* ''Coreopsis floridana'' E.B.Sm. – Florida tickseed
* ''Coreopsis gladiata'' Walter – coastalplain tickseed
* ''Coreopsis integrifolia'' Poir. – fringeleaf tickseed
* ''Coreopsis linifolia'' Nutt. – Texas tickseed
* ''Coreopsis nudata'' Nutt. – Georgia tickseed
* ''Coreopsis rosea'' Nutt. – pink tickseed

= Section Gyrophyllum (syn. Palmatae)

=
* ''Coreopsis delphiniifolia'' Lam. – larkspurleaf tickseed
* ''Coreopsis major'' Walter – greater tickseed
* '' Coreopsis palmata'' Nutt. – stiff tickseed
* ''Coreopsis pulchra'' F.E.Boynton – woodland tickseed
* ''Coreopsis tripteris'' L. – tall tickseed
* ''Coreopsis verticillata'' L. – whorled tickseed

= Section Leptosyne

=
* ''Coreopsis douglasii'' (DC.) H.M.Hall – Douglas's tickseed
* ''Coreopsis californica'' (Nutt.) H.Sharsm. – California tickseed
* ''Coreopsis stillmanii'' (A.Gray) S.F.Blake – Stillman's tickseed

= Section Pseudoagarista

=
South America, 35 species
* ''Coreopsis mcvaughii'' D.J.Crawford
* ''Coreopsis petrophila'' B.L.Rob. & Greenm.
* ''Coreopsis rudis'' (Benth.) Hemsl.

= Section Pugiopappus

=
* ''Coreopsis bigelovii'' (A.Gray) Voss – Bigelow's tickseed
* ''Coreopsis calliopsidea'' (DC.) A.Gray – leafstem tickseed
* ''Coreopsis hamiltonii'' (Elmer) H. Sharsm. – Mount Hamilton tickseed

= Section Silphidium

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* ''Coreopsis latifolia'' Michx. – broadleaf tickseed

= Section Tuckermannia

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* ''Coreopsis gigantea'' (Kellogg) H.M.Hall – giant coreopsis
* ''Coreopsis maritima'' (Nutt.) Hook.f. – sea dahlia

Formerly placed here

Distribution and habitat

North American ''Coreopsis'' can be found in two habitats in the wild, growing along roadsides and open fields throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. In this environment the plant will self-sow.

Ecology

''Coreopsis'' species are a source of nectar and pollen for insects. The species is known to provide food to caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including ''Coleophora acamtopappi''.

Cultivation

''Coreopsis'' can grow in a garden as a border plant, or in a container, preferring well-drained soil. Deadheading the flowers ensures it does not become weedy. Using the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones will identify what soil and climate is preferred for different cultivars or species. Notable species found in cultivation are ''C. grandiflora'' and ''C. verticillata'', as well as their various cultivars.
The sunny, summer-blooming, daisy-like flowers are popularly planted in gardens to attract butterflies. Both annual and perennial types are grown in the home garden (USDA hardiness zone 7a/6b). In the Mid-Atlantic region, insects such as bees, hover flies, and wasps are often observed visiting the flowers.

Culture

All ''Coreopsis'' species were designated the state wildflower of the U.S. state of Florida in 1991. In the language of flowers, ''Coreopsis'' means to be always cheerful, while ''Coreopsis arkansa'' in particular stands for love at first sight.

References

External links

Flora of North America: Coreopsis
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1362995

Asteraceae genera
Symbols of Florida