''Cotula'' is a genus of flowering plant in the sunflower family.Tropicos, ''Cotula'' L.
/ref> It includes plants known generally as water buttons or buttonweeds. The species within this genus can vary extensively in their habit, leaf division, involucre,

receptacle Receptacle may refer to: Biology * Receptacle (botany), a plant anatomical part * Seminal receptacle, a sperm storage site in some insects Electrical engineering * Automobile auxiliary power outlet, formerly known as ''cigarette lighter recep ...

and

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...

s. This makes it difficult to define them by comparing their morphology. The genus can only be defined by looking at the corollas of their flowers. Most are disciform (lacking ray florets). These corollas may be tubular, reduced or even absent. Another characteristic is their solitary heads growing on a

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

Taxonomy

''Cotula'' is the largest genus found in the Southern Hemisphere of the tribe Anthemideae. This genus was first mentioned by Carl Linnaeus, who described four species in his first edition (1753) of ''

Species Plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...

''. In 1867 the genus was subdivided by George BenthamBentham, G., 1867: "Flora Australiensis", Vol. 3. Reeve, London. into three sections. Since his account, only a few changes have been made but the number of species has remained more or less stable. The sections possess different basic chromosome numbers : * section ''Cotula'' : largest section with about 40 species; mostly in South Africa, a few in North Africa and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

+ the cosmopolitan species ''C. coronopifolia'' and the widespread species ''C. turbinata;'' this section also includes the former genera ''Cenia'' and ''Otochlamys''; basic chromosome numbers x = 8 and x = 10. * section ''Strongylosperma'' (Less.) Benth.: a total of eight species, found in warmer parts of Africa and Asia (often lumped as ''C. anthemoides''),

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and South America (''C. mexicana'') and

(five species, including ''C. australis''); basic chromosome number : x = 18 * section ''Leptinella'' (Cass.) Hook f. : the remaining thirty species, found in South America and the Falkland Islands (the type species ''C. scariosa''), New Zealand, the Subantarctic Islands (together 24) and five species from

and New Zealand.; the species in this section have a distinctive characteristic not found in the other sections : inflated pistillate corollas; basic chromosome number : x = 13. See also ''

Leptinella ''Leptinella'' is a genus of alpine flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, comprising 33 species, distributed in New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America. Many of the species are endemic to New Zealand. For over 10 ...

''. David G. Lloyd has proposed that the five species from

and New Guinea are distinctive enough from the other species from the section ''Leptinella'' to be brought under a new section with the proposed name ''Oligoleima'' (type species ''C. longipes''). ; Species

Uses

''Cotula'' is used in New Zealand as ground cover for bowling greens, playing fields on which the ball-game of

bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...

is played

Footnotes

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1807600 Asteraceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Taxonomy

Uses

Footnotes

References

Further reading

External links