''Cassinia'' is a genus of about fifty-two species of flowering plants in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

that are native to Australia and New Zealand. Plants in the genus ''Cassinia'' are shrubs, sometimes small trees with leaves arranged alternately, and heads of white, cream-coloured, yellow or pinkish flowers surrounded by several rows of

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

Description

Plants in the genus ''Cassinia'' are shrubs or small trees, sometimes with sticky foliage. The leaves are arranged alternately, the edges flat to strongly rolled under, and the flowers white to cream-coloured, yellow or pinkish, arranged in heads, the heads in cylindrical, top-shaped or bell-shaped

corymb Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...

s. The heads are surrounded by several rows of usually erect, boat-shaped bracts. The

florets This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary ...

are

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

and cylindrical with five lobes and the cypselas are small and usually have a pappus of bristles.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Cassinia'' was first formally described in 1817 by

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

in his book ''Observations on the Natural Family of Plants called Compositae''. Brown had previously used the name ''Cassinia'' in the second edition of the ''

Hortus Kewensis (Latin for 'Kew Garden'; abbr. ) is a series of works cataloguing the plant species in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Background Kew became a favored location for English courtiers ...

'' but the name was not validly published because no species was described. The genus was named for French botanist

Alexandre de Cassini Viscount Alexandre Henri Gabriel (vicomte) de Cassini (9 May 1781 – 23 April 1832) was a French botanist and naturalist, who specialised in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) (then known as family Compositae). He was the youngest of five childre ...

Species list

The following is a list of species accepted by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

as of May 2021: * '' Cassinia accipitrum'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia aculeata'' (Labill.) R.Br. – dogwood, common cassinia, dolly bush (N.S.W., S.A., Tas., Vic.) * '' Cassinia × adunca'' F.Muell. (S.A.) * '' Cassinia amoena'' Cheeseman (N.Z.) * '' Cassinia × amoenatorta'' Carse (N.Z.) * '' Cassinia arcuata'' R.Br. – Chinese scrub, drooping cassinia, sifton bush (N.S.W., S.A., W.A., Vic.) * '' Cassinia aureonitens'' N.A.Wakef. – yellow cassinia (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia cinerea'' Orchard (Qld.) * '' Cassinia collina'' C.T.White (Qld.) * '' Cassinia compacta'' F.Muell. (N.S.W., Qld.) * '' Cassinia complanata'' J.M.Black – smooth cassinia (Vic., S.A.) * '' Cassinia copensis'' Orchard (N.S.W., Qld.) * '' Cassinia cunninghamii'' DC. – Cunninghams everlasting (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia decipiens'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia denticulata'' R.Br. – stiff cassinia (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia diminuta'' Orchard - dwarf cassinia (Vic.) * ''

Cassinia fulvida ''Cassinia'' is a genus of about fifty-two species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae that are native to Australia and New Zealand. Plants in the genus ''Cassinia'' are shrubs, sometimes small trees with leaves arranged alternately, a ...

'' Hook.f. (N.Z.) * '' Cassinia furtiva'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia heleniae'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia hewsoniae'' Orchard (N.S.W., A.C.T.) * '' Cassinia laevis'' R.Br. – cough bush, dead finish (Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.) * '' Cassinia lepschii'' Orchard (N.S.W., Qld.) * '' Cassinia leptocephala'' F.Muell. (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia longifolia'' R.Br. – shiny cassinia (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.) * '' Cassinia macrocephala'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia maritima'' Orchard (N.S.W., Vic.) * '' Cassinia monticola'' Orchard (N.S.W., Vic.) * '' Cassinia nivalis'' Orchard – ochre cassinia (Vic.) * '' Cassinia ochracea'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia ozothamnoides'' (F.Muell.) Orchard (Vic.) * '' Cassinia petrapendula'' (Orchard) Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia quinquefaria'' R.Br. (N.S.W., Qld., A.C.T.) * '' Cassinia retorta'' A.Cunn. ex DC. (N.Z.) * ''

Cassinia rugata ''Cassinia rugata'', commonly known as wrinkled dollybush, or wrinkled cassinia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a spreading to erect shrub with hairy, slightly sticky bran ...

'' N.G.Walsh (Vic., S.A., Tas.) * '' Cassinia scabrida'' Orchard – rough cassinia (Vic.) * '' Cassinia sifton'' Orchard (W.A., S.A., N.S.W., A.C.T. (naturalised), Vic. (uncertain origin) * '' Cassinia storyi'' (Orchard) Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia straminea'' (Benth.) Orchard (N.S.W) * '' Cassinia subtropica'' F.Muell. – bushy rosemary (Qld., N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia tegulata'' Orchard – Avenue cassinia (S.A.) * '' Cassinia telfordii'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia tenuifolia'' Benth. – bully bush, killmoke (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia tenuis'' (Orchard) Orchard (N.S.W) * '' Cassinia theodori'' F.Muell. (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia theresae'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia thinicola'' Orchard (N.S.W.) * '' Cassinia trinerva'' N.A.Wakef. (N.S.W., Qld., Vic., Tas.) * '' Cassinia uncata'' A.Cunn. – sticky cassinia (N.S.W., S.A.) * '' Cassinia vauvilliersii'' Hook.f. (N.Z.) * '' Cassinia venusta'' Orchard (N.S.W., Vic.) * '' Cassinia wilsoniae'' Orchard (Vic., S.A.) * '' Cassinia wyberbensis'' Orchard (Qld.)

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2702870 Asteraceae genera Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)