Inula conyzae - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-192

''Inula'' is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. They may be annuals,

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 of t ...

perennials or

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

s that vary greatly in size, from small species a few centimeters tall to enormous perennials over tall. They carry yellow daisy-like composite flowerheads often with narrow ray-florets. Some common characteristics include pappus with bristles, flat capitulum, and lack of

chaff Chaff (; ) is the dry, scaly protective casing of the seeds of cereal grains or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material (such as scaly parts of flowers or finely chopped straw). Chaff is indigestible by humans, but livestock can eat it. In agri ...

. Several species are popular flowers for the garden, with cultivation going back to antiquity. The smaller species are used in rock gardens and the more common larger ones, which tend to have very coarse foliage, in borders.

Etymology

The genus name ''Inula'' is of uncertain origin, and was already in use by the Romans. The Latin phrase ''inula campana'' (field inula) gave rise to the English whose scientific name is '' Inula helenium''. The plant's specific name, ''helenium'', derives from

Helen of Troy Helen of Troy, Helen, Helena, (Ancient Greek: Ἑλένη ''Helénē'', ) also known as beautiful Helen, Helen of Argos, or Helen of Sparta, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believe ...

; elecampane is said to have sprung up from where her tears fell.

Species

THe following species are recognised in the genus ''Inula'':

Select species formerly in ''Inula''

* ''Inula auriculata'' Boiss. & Balansa => ''

Pentanema auriculatum ''Pentanema'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the tribe Inuleae within the family Asteraceae. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Pentanema'': Formerly included In 2018, the '' Vicoa'' genus was re-erected d ...

'' (Boiss. & Balansa) D.Gut.Larr. ''et al.'' * ''Inula britannica'' L. => ''

Pentanema britannica ''Pentanema britannica'', the British yellowhead or meadow fleabane, is a Eurasian species of plant in the daisy family. It is widespread across much of Europe and Asia, and sparingly naturalized in scattered locations in North America. ''Pentan ...

'' (L.) D.Gut.Larr.''et al.'' – British yellowhead * ''Inula conyzae'' (Griess.) Meikle => '' Pentanema squarrosum'' (L.) D.Gut.Larr.''et al.'' – ploughman's-spikenard * ''Inula crithmoides'' L. => ''

Limbarda crithmoides The golden samphire (''Limbarda crithmoides'') is a perennial coastal species, which may be found growing on salt marsh or sea cliffs across western and southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Golden samphire has a tufted habit, and the plant may ...

'' (L.) Dumort. – golden samphire * ''Inula dysenterica'' L. => ''

Pulicaria dysenterica ''Pulicaria dysenterica'', the common fleabane, or, in North America, meadow false fleabane, is a species of fleabane in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia where it grows in a variety of habitats ranging from semi-a ...

'' (L.) Bernh. * ''Inula graminifolia'' Michx. => ''

Pityopsis graminifolia ''Pityopsis graminifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names grass-leaved golden-aster and narrowleaf silkgrass. It is native to the southeastern United States, occurring as far north as Ohio and M ...

'' (Michx.) Nutt. * ''Inula graveolens'' (L.) Desf. => ''

Dittrichia graveolens ''Dittrichia graveolens'', commonly known as stinkwort or stinking fleabane, is a plant species in the sunflower family, native to southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia as far east as Pakistan. It has become naturalized in California, ...

'' (L.) Greuter – stinkwort, stinkweed * ''Inula hirta'' L. => ''

Pentanema hirtum ''Pentanema hirtum'' is a species of perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. The specific Latin name ''hirtum'' refers to the type of hairiness (bristly and rough) of the plant. Description ''Pentanema hirtum'' reaches a h ...

'' (L.) D.Gut.Larr. ''et al.'' * ''Inula indica'' L. => ''

Pentanema indicum ''Pentanema'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the tribe Inuleae within the family Asteraceae. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Pentanema'': Formerly included In 2018, the ''Vicoa'' genus was re-erected due ...

'' (L.) Y.Ling * ''Inula mariana'' L. => '' Chrysopsis mariana'' (L.) Elliott * ''Inula orientalis'' Lam. => ''

Pentanema orientale ''Pentanema'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the tribe Inuleae within the family Asteraceae. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Pentanema'': Formerly included In 2018, the '' Vicoa'' genus was re-erected d ...

'' (Lam.) D.Gut.Larr.''et al.'' * ''Inula primulifolia'' Lam. => ''

Conyza primulifolia ''Conyza'' (horseweed, butterweed or fleabane) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to tropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world, and also north into cool temperate regions in North America and ...

'' (Lam.) Cuatrec. & Lourteig * ''Inula salicina'' L. => ''

Pentanema salicinum ''Pentanema salicinum'' (common name Irish fleabane (UK) or willowleaf yellowhead) is a plant species in the family Asteraceae. It is found across Eurasia from Portugal to Japan. It has been reported growing in the wild in a few scattered locat ...

'' (L.) D.Gut.Larr.''et al.'' – Irish fleabane, willowleaf yellowhead * ''Inula spiraeifolia'' L. => ''

Pentanema spiraeifolium ''Pentanema spiraeifolium'' is a species perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plant, herbaceous plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. It is found from Europe to Iran. Description ''Pentanema spiraeifolium'' reaches a height of . The middle ...

'' (L.) D.Gut.Larr.''et al.'' * ''Inula subaxillaris'' Lam. => ''

Heterotheca subaxillaris ''Heterotheca subaxillaris'', known by the common name camphorweed, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread across much of the United States (from California to Massachusetts) as well as Mexico an ...

'' (Lam.) Britton & Rusby * ''Inula viscosa'' => '' Dittrichia viscosa'' – false yellowhead, sticky fleabane, woody fleabane

Ecology

''Inula'' 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 case-bearers of the genus '' Coleophora'', such as '' C. conyzae'' (recorded on ''I. conyzae''), '' C. follicularis'', '' C. inulae'', and '' C. troglodytella''.

Gallery

File:Inula hookeri (2018) 02.jpg, Inula hookeri. Budding flower bud. File:Inula hookeri. locatie, Tuinen Mien Ruys.JPG, Inula hookeri. Inflorescence.

References

External links

*
Flora Europaea: ''Inula''Flora of China: list of Chinese ''Inula'' species
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q338207 Asteraceae genera