''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enthusiastic

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

. The common name may refer to the resemblance of the inflorescence to the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, or to the ability of wild taxa to blanket the ground with colonies. Many cultivars have been bred for

ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

use.

Description

These are annual or perennial herbs or

subshrubs 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 ...

, sometimes with

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s. The stem is usually branching and erect to a maximum height around 80 centimeters (31.5 inches). The leaves are alternately arranged. Some taxa have only basal leaves. They vary in shape. They are glandular in most species. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head. The head can have 15 or more ray florets, while some taxa lack any ray florets. They can be almost any shade of yellow, orange, red, purplish, brown, white, or bicolored. They are sometimes rolled into a funnel shape. There are many tubular disc florets at the center of the head in a similar range of colors, and usually tipped with hairs. The fruit usually has a pappus of scales.''Gaillardia''.
Flora of North America.

Ecology

''Gaillardia'' species are used as food plants by the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s 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 '' Schinia bina'' (which has been recorded on ''G. pulchella''), '' Schinia masoni'' (which feeds exclusively on ''G. aristata'') and '' Schinia volupia'' (which feeds exclusively on ''G. pulchella''). Gaillardia fanfare centered

Symbolism

It is the official flower of Wallonia.
The school colors of Texas State University are

maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...

and old gold, a combination inspired by the gaillardia.School Colors.
Texas State University–San Marcos.

Species

Species include: * ''

Gaillardia aestivalis ''Gaillardia aestivalis'' is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name lanceleaf blanketflower. It is native to the south-central and southern United States from Texas east to Florida and north to the Carolinas, A ...

'' (Walter) H.Rock – lanceleaf blanketflower southeastern USA * '' Gaillardia amblyodon'' J.Gay – maroon blanketflower - Texas * '' Gaillardia aristata'' Pursh – common gaillardia - Canada, northern + western USA * '' Gaillardia arizonica'' A.Gray – Arizona blanketflower - Sonora, southwestern USA * ''

Gaillardia cabrerae ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enth ...

'' ( Lihue Calel, Argentina) * '' Gaillardia coahuilensis'' B.L.Turner – bandanna daisy - Coahuila, Texas * '' Gaillardia comosa'' A.Gray - northern Mexico * ''

Gaillardia doniana ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enth ...

'' (Hook. & Arn.) Griseb. - Argentina * '' Gaillardia gypsophila'' B.L.Turner - Coahuila * ''

Gaillardia henricksonii ''Gaillardia henricksonii'' is a Mexican species of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to northwestern Mexico, found only in the State of Coahuila. ''Gaillardia henricksonii'' grows in soil derived from gypsum. It is an pere ...

'' B.L.Turner - Coahuila * ''

Gaillardia megapotamica ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enthusias ...

'' (Spreng.) Baker - Argentina – ''boton de oro'' ** ''Gaillardia megapotamica'' var. ''radiata'' ( San Luis, Argentina) ** ''Gaillardia megapotamica'' var. ''scabiosoides'' * ''

Gaillardia mexicana ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enth ...

'' A.Gray - northeastern Mexico * ''

Gaillardia multiceps ''Gaillardia multiceps'', the onion blanketflower, is a North American species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to the southwestern United States ( Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas). ''Gaillardia multiceps'' grows in ...

'' Greene – onion blanketflower - Arizona, Texas, New Mexico * ''

Gaillardia parryi ''Gaillardia parryi'', or Parry's blanketflower, is a North American species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to the southwestern United States (Arizona and Utah). Some of the populations are inside Grand Canyon National ...

'' Greene – Parry's blanketflower - Utah, Arizona * ''

Gaillardia pinnatifida ''Gaillardia pinnatifida'', the Hopi blanketflower or red dome blanketflower, is a perennial plant in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae) found in northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Sonora) and in the south-central and southwestern U ...

'' Torr. – red dome blanketflower - northern Mexico, western USA * ''

Gaillardia powellii ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enth ...

'' B.L.Turner - Coahuila * '' Gaillardia pulchella'' Foug. – firewheel - southern + central USA, central Canada, northern Mexico * ''

Gaillardia serotina ''Gaillardia serotina'' is a North American species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to the southeastern United States. Flower heads are yellow, each with 12 ray flowers. Leaves are sessile (lacking a petiole), and with t ...

'' (Walter) H. Rock - southeastern USA * ''

Gaillardia spathulata ''Gaillardia spathulata'', the western blanketflower, is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to the western United States ( Utah, western Colorado, and northwestern Arizona, with an isolated population reported f ...

'' A.Gray – western blanketflower - Utah, Colorado * ''

Gaillardia suavis ''Gaillardia suavis'' is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family, common names pincushion daisy and perfumeballs. It is native to northern Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas) and the southern Great Plains The Great Pla ...

'' (A.Gray & Engelm.) Britton & Rusby – perfumeballs - northeastern Mexico, south-central USA * ''

Gaillardia tontalensis ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enth ...

'' (

San Juan Province, Argentina San Juan Province () is a province of Argentina, located in the western part of the country. Neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja, San Luis and Mendoza. It borders with Chile to the west. The province has an a ...

) * ''

Gaillardia turneri ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enth ...

'' Averett & A.M.Powell - Chihuahua

Hybrids

* ''Gaillardia'' × ''grandiflora'' hort. ex Van Houtte 'G. aristata'' × ''G. pulchella''ref name="GRINSpecies"/>

Formerly placed here

* ''Helenium amarum'' (Raf.) H.Rock var. ''amarum'' (as ''G. amara'' Raf.) * ''Tetraneuris acaulis'' (Pursh) Greene var. ''acaulis'' (as ''G. acaulis'' Pursh)

Gallery

File:Gaillardia-aestivalis01.jpg, lanceleaf blanketflower (''Gaillardia aestivalis'') File:Gaillardia-pulchella01.jpg, firewheel (''Gaillardia pulchella'') File:Gaillardia x hybrida Kobold.JPG, ''Gaillardia'' × ''hybrida'' 'Kobold' File:Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Oranges and Lemons' in NH.jpg, ''Gaillardia'' × ''grandiflora'' 'Oranges and Lemons' File:Yellow Gaillardia Flower.jpg File:Blanket Flower (Yellow).jpg