''Ursinia'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
n plants in the
chamomile tribe within the
daisy family
Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fam ...
. The genus is named in honor of German scholar
Johannes Heinrich Ursinus Johannes Heinrich Ursinus (also known as Johannes Henricus Ursinus, Iohannes Henricus Ursinus, Johann Heinrich Ursin and even John Henry Ursinus) (26 January 1608 in Speyer – 14 May 1667 in Regensburg) was a learned German author, scholar, Lu ...
1608–1667.
Characteristics
This genus consists of annual or perrenial herbs and shrubs.
Leaves
The leaves are usually alternately with toothed margins.
Flowers
The flowers are borne in round flower heads. They are usually medium sized or large, but may also rarely be small. Most species have long floral stems. There are many rows of bracts. These get shorter towards the outside.
The florets of the flowerheads are not all of the same sex. There is only one row of ray (outer) florets. The corolla is strap shaped. The blades of the petals may have three small teeth at the end.
The disc florets are bisexual, although those at the center may be sterile. The corolla has a slender tube that widens at the base.
The achenes (small, dry fruits that contain a single seed) have five to ten ridges and are narrower towards the base. The base may be surrounded by long hairs.
Distribution
This species is currently known from Africa with 65 species in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
(mostly in coastal regions) and one species from
the Ethiopian Empire.
Species
The following species are accepted:
[The Plant List search for ''Ursinia'']
/ref>
References
Anthemideae
Asteraceae genera
{{Anthemideae-stub