''Otanthus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of flowering plants in the chamomile tribe (
Anthemideae
Anthemideae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family, Asteraceae, and the subfamily Asteroideae. They are distributed worldwide with concentrations in central Asia, the Mediterranean Basin, and southern Africa.Oberprieler, C., et al. (2007) A ...
) within the daisy 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 ...
or Compositae). The only known species is the cotton weed plant, ''Otanthus maritimus''.
[ It is a small pioneering perennial that grows in the dune areas throughout the Mediterranean and exerts a stabilizing action on the sandy soils. A thick white down covers both the stems and the small oval, slightly saw-toothed alternate leaves. The globose flower heads, with their short peduncles, are composed of an envelope of white-wooly scales around tubular yellow flowers that are visible from June through to September.Altervista Flora Italiana, Santolina delle spiagge, ''Achillea maritima'' (L.) Ehrend. & Y. P. Guo ]
/ref> The generic name is derived from the Greek words otos (ear) and anthos (flower). This refers to the form of the corolla, which is composed of three membranous bracts that create a profile similar to that of a human ear.
See also
* List of extinct plants of the British Isles
The following are plant species which are or have been held to be at least nationally extinct in the British Isles, since Britain was cut off from the European continent, including any which have been reintroduced or reestablished, not including re ...
References
External links
*
Monotypic Asteraceae genera
Anthemideae
{{Anthemideae-stub