Gerbera

Gerbera
A white Gerbera × hybrida
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceaey
Subfamily: Mutisioideae
Tribe: Mutisieae[1]
Genus: Gerbera
L. 1758 non Boehmer, 1760 (Asteraceae) nec J.F.Gmel., 1791[2]
Synonyms[1]
  • Gerbera sect. Piloselloïdes Less.
  • Lasiopus Cass.
  • Piloselloides (Less.) C.Jeffrey ex Cufod.
  • Berniera DC.
  • Atasites Neck.

Gerbera (/ˈdʒɜːrbərə/ or /ˈɡɜːrbərə/) L. is a genus of plants Asteraceae (daisy family). It was named in honour of German botanist and medical doctor Traugott Gerber[3] | (1710-1743) who travelled extensively in Russia and was a friend of Carl Linnaeus.[4]

Gerbera is native to tropical regions of South America, Africa and Asia. The first scientific description of a Gerbera was made by J.D. Hooker in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1889 when he described Gerbera jamesonii, a South African species also known as Transvaal daisy or Barberton Daisy. Gerbera is also commonly known as the African Daisy.

Gerbera species bear a large capitulum with striking, two-lipped ray florets in yellow, orange, white, pink or red colours. The capitulum, which has the appearance of a single flower, is actually composed of hundreds of individual flowers. The morphology of the flowers varies depending on their position in the capitulum. The flower heads can be as small as 7 cm (Gerbera mini 'Harley') in diameter or up to 12 cm (Gerbera ‘Golden Serena’).

Gerbera is very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers. The domesticated cultivars are mostly a result of a cross between Gerbera jamesonii and another South African species Gerbera viridifolia.[5] The cross is known as Gerbera hybrida. Thousands of cultivars exist. They vary greatly in shape and size. Colours include white, yellow, orange, red, and pink. The centre of the flower is sometimes black. Often the same flower can have petals of several different colours.

Gerbera is also important commercially. It is the fifth most used cut flower in the world (after rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, and tulip). It is also used as a model organism in studying flower formation.

Gerbera contains naturally occurring coumarin derivatives. Gerbera is a tender perennial plant. It is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds, but resistant to deer.[6] Their soil should be kept moist but not soaked.

Species[1]
  1. Gerbera ambigua
  2. Gerbera aurantiaca : Hilton Daisy
  3. Gerbera bojeri
  4. Gerbera bonatiana
  5. Gerbera connata
  6. Gerbera cordata
  7. Gerbera crocea
  8. Gerbera curvisquama
  9. Gerbera delavayi
  10. Gerbera diversifolia
  11. Gerbera elliptica
  12. Gerbera emirnensis
  13. Gerbera galpinii
  14. Gerbera gossypina
  15. Gerbera hypochaeridoides
  16. Gerbera jamesonii : Barberton Daisy, Gerbera Daisy, Transvaal Daisy
  17. Gerbera kunzeana
  18. Gerbera latiligulata
  19. Gerbera leandrii
  20. Gerbera leiocarpa
  21. Gerbera leucothrix
  22. Gerbera lijiangensis
  23. Gerbera linnaei
  24. Gerbera macrocephala
  25. Gerbera maxima
  26. Gerbera nepalensis
  27. Gerbera nivea
  28. Gerbera parva
  29. Gerbera perrieri
  30. Gerbera petasitifolia
  31. Gerbera piloselloides
  32. Gerbera pterodonta
  33. Gerbera raphanifolia
  34. Gerbera ruficoma
  35. Gerbera saxatilis
  36. Gerbera serotina
  37. Gerbera serrata
  38. Gerbera tomentosa
  39. Gerbera viridifolia
  40. Gerbera wrightii
Formerly included[1]

Numerous species once considered members of Gerbera are now regarded as more suited to other genera: Chaptalia, Leibnitzia, Mairia, Perdicium, Trichocline, and Uechtritzia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
  2. ↑ Tropicos search for Gerbera
  3. ↑ Gerbera.org
  4. ↑ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  5. ↑ Isabel Johnson. "Gerbera jamesonii Adlam". Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  6. ↑ http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/
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