''Encelia'' is a genus of the

plant family Family ( la, familia, plural ') is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between order and genus. A family may be divided into subfamilies, which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of ...

Asteraceae. It consists of

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 trees ...

s (and one geophyte) of arid environments in southwestern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and western South America.Flora of North America, ''Encelia'' Adanson, Fam. Pl. 2: 128. 1763.
/ref> All have n = 18 chromosomes. All the

n species are obligate outcrossers. In cultivation, the species readily form fertile F₁ hybrids, F₂s, and backcrosses, but in natural areas of

sympatry In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...

, F2s and backcrosses are absent or rare. ''Encelia'' species are used as food plants by the larvae 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 the leaf miner ''

Bucculatrix enceliae ''Bucculatrix enceliae'' is a species of moth in the family Bucculatricidae. The species was described in 1963 by Annette Frances Braun. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from California and Arizona. The wingspan is 7–9&n ...

'' which feeds exclusively on '' Encelia farinosa''. The phylogenetic

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

of ''Encelia'' is a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

comprising the genera ''

Enceliopsis ''Enceliopsis'' is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are sometimes called sunrays. They are similar to the daisylike plants in the related genus ''Encelia''. These three shrubs are native to the western United State ...

'' and '' Geraea''. The three genera are informally called the "Encelia alliance". ''Encelia'' is named in honor of German biologist Christophorus Enzelius, 1517–1583. ;SpeciesBiota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
/ref> *'' Encelia actoni'' Elmer - California *''

Encelia asperifolia ''Encelia'' is a genus of the plant family Asteraceae. It consists of shrubs (and one geophyte) of arid environments in southwestern North America and western South America. All have n = 18 chromosomes. All the North American species are obliga ...

'' (

S.F.Blake Sidney Fay Blake (1892–1959) was an American botanist and plant taxonomist, "recognized as one of the world's experts on botanical nomenclature." Biography Blake was born in 1892 in Stoughton, Massachusetts. In 1912, he received a bachelor's d ...

) C. Clark & Kyhos - Baja California *''

Encelia californica ''Encelia californica'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California brittlebush. It is also commonly referred to as California coast sunflower and California bush sunflower. Distribution This shr ...

'' Nutt. - Baja California,

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

, California *'' Encelia canescens'' Lam. - Peru, northern Chile,

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

*''

Encelia conspersa ''Encelia californica'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California brittlebush. It is also commonly referred to as California coast sunflower and California bush sunflower. Distribution This shr ...

'' Benth. -

*'' Encelia densifolia'' C.Clark & Kyhos -

*'' Encelia farinosa'' Torr. &

A.Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His '' Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually exc ...

var. ''farinosa'' - brittlebush - Baja California,

, California,

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

, Hidalgo, Arizona, Utah, Nevada *''

Encelia frutescens ''Encelia frutescens'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names button brittlebush and bush encelia. Distribution This is a plant of the deserts in the Southwestern United States, especially the Mojave D ...

'' (

)

- Arizona, California, Nevada, Baja California *''

Encelia halimifolia ''Encelia'' is a genus of the plant family Asteraceae. It consists of shrubs (and one geophyte) of arid environments in southwestern North America and western South America. All have n = 18 chromosomes. All the North American species are obliga ...

'' Cav. - Baja California,

*''

Encelia hispida ''Encelia'' is a genus of the plant family Asteraceae. It consists of shrubs (and one geophyte) of arid environments in southwestern North America and western South America. All have n = 18 chromosomes. All the North American species are obliga ...

'' Andersson - Galápagos *''

Encelia laciniata ''Encelia'' is a genus of the plant family Asteraceae. It consists of shrubs (and one geophyte) of arid environments in southwestern North America and western South America. All have n = 18 chromosomes. All the North American species are obl ...

'' Vasey & Rose - Baja California,

*'' Encelia nutans'' Eastwood - Utah, Colorado *'' Encelia palmeri'' Vasey & Rose -

*'' Encelia pilocarpa'' Rubsy-

*'' Encelia pilosiflora'' S.F.Blake - Peru *'' Encelia ravenii''

Wiggins Team Wiggins Le Col (), also known as ''Team Wiggins'' in media, was a professional developmental cycling team based in the United Kingdom, which began competing in elite road bicycle racing and track cycling in 2015. The team folded at the e ...

*''

Encelia resinifera ''Encelia resinifera'', the sticky brittlebush, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Distribution The species is found at elevations between in the states of Arizona and Utah, in the Southwestern United State ...

'' C. Clark - Utah, Arizona *''

Encelia scaposa ''Encelia scaposa'', common name onehead brittlebush is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It has been found in western Texas, southwestern New Mexico, and Chihuahua. ''Encelia scaposa'' is a shrub up to 6 ...

'' (A.Gray) A.Gray-

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, Texas, New Mexico *'' Encelia stenophylla'' Greene - Baja California,

*'' Encelia ventorum'' T.S Brandegee - Baja California,

*'' Encelia virginensis'' A. Nels. - California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico

References

Further reading