Gaillardia

''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enthusiastic botanist. The common name may refer to the resemblance of the inflorescence to the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, or to the ability of wild taxa to blanket the ground with colonies. Many cultivars have been bred for ornamental use.

Description

These are annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, sometimes with rhizomes. The stem is usually branching and erect to a maximum height around 80 centimeters (31.5 inches). The leaves are alternately arranged. Some taxa have only basal leaves. They vary in shape. They are glandular in most species. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head. The head can have 15 or more ray florets, while some taxa lack any ray florets. They can be almost any shade of yellow, orange, red, purplish, brown, white, or bicolored. They are sometimes rolled into a funnel shape. There are many tubular disc florets at the center of the head in a similar range of colors, and usually tipped with hairs. The fruit usually has a pappus of scales.''Gaillardia''.
Flora of North America.

Ecology

''Gaillardia'' species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including '' Schinia bina'' (which has been recorded on ''G. pulchella''), '' Schinia masoni'' (which feeds exclusively on ''G. aristata'') and '' Schinia volupia'' (which feeds exclusively on ''G. pulchella'').

Symbolism

It is the official flower of Wallonia.

The school colors of Texas State University are maroon and old gold, a combination inspired by the gaillardia.School Colors.
Texas State University–San Marcos.

Species

Species include:

* '' Gaillardia aestivalis'' (Walter) H.Rock – lanceleaf blanketflower southeastern USA
* '' Gaillardia amblyodon'' J.Gay – maroon blanketflower - Texas
* '' Gaillardia aristata'' Pursh – common gaillardia - Canada, northern + western USA
* '' Gaillardia arizonica'' A.Gray – Arizona blanketflower - Sonora, southwestern USA
* '' Gaillardia cabrerae'' ( Lihue Calel, Argentina)
* '' Gaillardia coahuilensis'' B.L.Turner – bandanna daisy - Coahuila, Texas
* '' Gaillardia comosa'' A.Gray - northern Mexico
* '' Gaillardia doniana'' (Hook. & Arn.) Griseb. - Argentina
* '' Gaillardia gypsophila'' B.L.Turner - Coahuila
* '' Gaillardia henricksonii'' B.L.Turner - Coahuila
* '' Gaillardia megapotamica'' (Spreng.) Baker - Argentina – ''boton de oro''
** ''Gaillardia megapotamica'' var. ''radiata'' (San Luis, Argentina)
** ''Gaillardia megapotamica'' var. ''scabiosoides''
* '' Gaillardia mexicana'' A.Gray - northeastern Mexico
* '' Gaillardia multiceps'' Greene – onion blanketflower - Arizona, Texas, New Mexico
* '' Gaillardia parryi'' Greene – Parry's blanketflower - Utah, Arizona
* '' Gaillardia pinnatifida'' Torr. – red dome blanketflower - northern Mexico, western USA
* '' Gaillardia powellii'' B.L.Turner - Coahuila
* ''Gaillardia pulchella'' Foug. – firewheel - southern + central USA, central Canada, northern Mexico
* '' Gaillardia serotina'' (Walter) H. Rock - southeastern USA
* '' Gaillardia spathulata'' A.Gray – western blanketflower - Utah, Colorado
* '' Gaillardia suavis'' (A.Gray & Engelm.) Britton & Rusby – perfumeballs - northeastern Mexico, south-central USA
* '' Gaillardia tontalensis'' ( San Juan Province, Argentina)
* '' Gaillardia turneri'' Averett & A.M.Powell - Chihuahua

Hybrids

* ''Gaillardia'' × ''grandiflora'' hort. ex Van Houtte 'G. aristata'' × ''G. pulchella''ref name="GRINSpecies"/>

Formerly placed here

* ''Helenium amarum'' (Raf.) H.Rock var. ''amarum'' (as ''G. amara'' Raf.)
* ''Tetraneuris acaulis'' (Pursh) Greene var. ''acaulis'' (as ''G. acaulis'' Pursh)

Gallery

File:Gaillardia-aestivalis01.jpg, lanceleaf blanketflower (''Gaillardia aestivalis'')
File:Gaillardia-pulchella01.jpg, firewheel (''Gaillardia pulchella'')
File:Gaillardia x hybrida Kobold.JPG, ''Gaillardia'' × ''hybrida'' 'Kobold'
File:Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Oranges and Lemons' in NH.jpg, ''Gaillardia'' × ''grandiflora'' 'Oranges and Lemons'
File:Yellow Gaillardia Flower.jpg
File:Blanket Flower (Yellow).jpg

References

Further reading

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q732510

Asteraceae genera