''Streptoglossa'' is a genus 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 ...

and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus ''Streptoglossa'' are aromatic herbs or shrubs with

simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by John ...

leaves,

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic material ...

flowerheads with 15 to more than 100 fertile

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 ...

, the outer florets female and the disc florets

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 ...

Description

Plants in the genus ''Streptoglossa'' are shrubs, or

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbs, often aromatic, with simple, often

glandular A gland is a cell or an organ in an animal's body that produces and secretes different substances that the organism needs, either into the bloodstream or into a body cavity or outer surface. A gland may also function to remove unwanted substance ...

leaves. The daisy-like flowers are pink to purple and have 15 to 100 or more fertile florets, the outer florets female with a lobed

ligule A ligule (from "strap", variant of ''lingula'', from ''lingua'' "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the plant stem, stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above g ...

, and the disc florets bisexual and tube-shaped. There are 3 to 6 rows of overlapping

involucral bracts 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 look ...

at the base of the heads. The fruit is a hairy

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

, the pappus with many barbed or feathery bristles.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Streptoglossa'' was first formally described by

Joachim Steetz Joachim Steetz (12 November 1804 – 24 March 1862) was a German botanist. His herbarium, comprising more than 5000 specimens from over 160 collectors and 30 countries was purchased in 1863 by Victorian Government Botanist Ferdinand von Muelle ...

, but published in 1863 by

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria, Australia ...

in the '' Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal''. Mueller used the opportunity of publishing the name, to refer to Steetz as "my lamented friend the late Dr Joachim Steetz of Hamburg, in whom botanical science has lost one of its most able, correct, and philosophical promoters of this age." The genus name means "twisted tongue", probably referring to the bracts that twist when dry.

Species list

The following is a list of species of ''Streptoglossa'' accepted by the

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Sys ...

as at June 2022: * ''

Streptoglossa adscendens ''Streptoglossa adscendens'', commonly known as desert daisy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and grows in all mainland states of Australia with the exception of Victoria. It is a ground cover, upright or ascending perenn ...

'' (Benth.) Dunlop * ''

Streptoglossa bubakii ''Streptoglossa bubakii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and grows in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is an upright, aromatic perennial herb with pink, purplish-blue or red to brown flowers. ...

'' (Domin) Dunlop * ''

Streptoglossa cylindriceps ''Streptoglossa cylindriceps'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and grows in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a ground cover or ascending perennial or annual herb with bluish purple or p ...

'' (J.M.Black) Dunlop * ''

Streptoglossa decurrens ''Streptoglossa decurrens'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It grows in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is an upright, aromatic perennial herb or shrub with pink-purplish or reddish purple fl ...

'' (DC.) Dunlop * ''

Streptoglossa liatroides ''Streptoglossa liatroides'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a low, spreading or upright perennial herb with pink or red to purple flowers. It grows in South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia and the No ...

'' (Turcz.) Dunlop * ''

Streptoglossa macrocephala ''Streptoglossa macrocephala'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a spreading or upright perennial herb with pink to purple flowers. It grows in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Description ...

'' (F.Muell.) Dunlop * ''

Streptoglossa odora ''Streptoglossa odora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a spreading, perennial herb with pink or bluish-purple flowers. It grows in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Description ''Strept ...

'' (F.Muell.) Dunlop * ''

Streptoglossa tenuiflora ''Streptoglossa tenuiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is an upright perennial or annual herb with pink to purple flowers. It is endemic to Western Australia. Description ''Streptoglossa tenuiflora'' is an upr ...

'' Dunlop

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5681852 Asteraceae genera Inuleae Endemic flora of Australia