''Helichrysum luteoalbum'', the Jersey cudweed,
is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
flowering plant in the
family Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
.
Description
It is an erect
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 o ...
biennial
Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years.
In particular, it can refer to:
* Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...
up to tall, branching from the base. Leaves are
oblanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
to lanceolate and covered in hairs like that of the
edelweiss. The leaves can survive frozen over in winter. Flowers are cream, yellow, white, or pink.
Seeds have a
pappus which lets them float over long distances.
Taxonomy
This species was first published by
Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 ''
Species plantarum'', under the name ''Gnaphalium luteo-album'' (the orthography was later changed to omit the hyphen). In 1829,
Ludwig Reichenbach transferred it to ''
Helichrysum
The genus ''Helichrysum'' consists of an estimated 600 species of flowering plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The type species is ''Helichrysum orientale''. They often go by the names everlasting, immortelle, and strawflower. The name ...
'', but this name was not taken up, and the species was retained in ''
Gnaphalium'' until 1981, when
Olive Mary Hilliard
Olive Mary Hilliard ( Hillary, 4 July 1925 – 30 November 2022) was a South African botanist and taxonomist. Hilliard authored 372 land plant species names, the fifth-highest number of such names authored by any female scientist.
Hilliard was bo ...
and
Brian Laurence Burtt
Brian Laurence "Bill" Burtt FRSE FLS (27 August 1913 – 30 May 2008), was an English botanist and taxonomist who is noted for his contributions to the family Gesneriaceae. In a career that spanned 74 years, he worked first at the Royal Botanic ...
transferred it into ''
Pseudognaphalium''.
In 2004, an investigation into the phylogenetic relationships of ''Helichrysum'' and related genera found this species to have arisen within ''Helichrysum''. As a result of this, Reichenbach's long-forgotten name for this species was resurrected.
A later study showed that all the sampled ''
Pseudognaphalium'' species arose within ''
Helichrysum
The genus ''Helichrysum'' consists of an estimated 600 species of flowering plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The type species is ''Helichrysum orientale''. They often go by the names everlasting, immortelle, and strawflower. The name ...
'' as did ''
Anaphalis
''Anaphalis'' is a genus of herbaceous and woody flowering plants within the family Asteraceae, whose members are commonly known by the name pearl or pearly everlasting. There are around 110 species with the vast majority being native to central ...
'', ''
Achyrocline
''Achyrocline'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae described as a genus in 1838. It is native to Latin America and Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. ...
'' and ''
Humeocline
''Humeocline'' is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae, endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), ...
''.
Distribution and habitat
This species is so widely distributed that it is unclear where it is native and where naturalised. In general it is considered naturalised in
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
and
South America, and native to every other continent except Antarctica.
It grows in meadows, wastelands, and edges of forests. Its rosettes are occasionally mistaken for edelweiss.
Uses
In Vietnam, the plant is used as a food ingredient, such as in the rice cake ''banh khuc''. It has also been used in traditional medicine of the region, as a diuretic, hemostatic, antipyretic, for the treatment of cough, and for pain relief.
See also
*
Nanakusa-no-sekku
The Festival of Seven Herbs or ''Nanakusa no sekku'' ( ja, ) is the long-standing Japanese custom of eating seven-herb rice porridge (七草粥, ''nanakusa-gayu'', lit. "7 Herbs Rice-Congee") on January 7 (''Jinjitsu''); one of the '' Gosekk ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3109451
luteoalbum
Flora of the Antipodes Islands