Gaillardia
Encyclopedia
Gaillardia the blanket flowers, is a genus of drought-tolerant
annual
and perennial plant
s from the sunflower
family (Asteraceae
), native to North
and South America
. It was named after M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany
. The common name refers to the inflorescence
's resemblance to brightly patterned blanket
s made by native Americans.
with lanceolate to linear basal leaves
. The plant grows to 1+1/2 ft tall, with bright, daisy-like single color and bicolor blooms in shades from buff to red to brown. The flower
s bloom in the summer. There are more than two dozen known species of Gaillardia.
They will grow under very harsh and dry conditions, forming mounds 8–18 in (20.3–45.7 cm) high, and will even bloom in sand along a seashore.
s of some Lepidoptera
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).
South America
Drought tolerance
Drought tolerance refers to the degree to which a plant is adapted to arid or drought conditions. Desiccation tolerance is an extreme degree of drought tolerance...
annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
and perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
s from the sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
family (Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
), native to North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It was named after M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
. The common name refers to the inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
's resemblance to brightly patterned blanket
Blanket
A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
s made by native Americans.
Description
These plants form wiry, branched stemsPlant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
with lanceolate to linear basal leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
. The plant grows to 1+1/2 ft tall, with bright, daisy-like single color and bicolor blooms in shades from buff to red to brown. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s bloom in the summer. There are more than two dozen known species of Gaillardia.
They will grow under very harsh and dry conditions, forming mounds 8–18 in (20.3–45.7 cm) high, and will even bloom in sand along a seashore.
Ecology
Gaillardia species are used as food plants by the caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species, including Schinia bina
Schinia bina
Schinia bina, or the Bina Flower Moth, is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from Mexico City to central Florida, and as far north as Canada....
(which has been recorded on G. pulchella), Schinia masoni
Schinia masoni
The Blanket Flower Moth is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in North America, including Colorado and Wyoming.The wingspan is about 22 mm.The larvae feed on Gaillardia aristata....
(which feeds exclusively on G. aristata) and Schinia volupia
Schinia volupia
The Painted Schinia Moth is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in North America, including Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.The wingspan is 20–22 mm....
(which feeds exclusively on G. pulchella).
Species
North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
- Gaillardia aestivalis (Walter) H.Rock – Lanceleaf Blanketflower
- Gaillardia aestivalis var. aestivalis – Lanceleaf Blanketflower
- Gaillardia aestivalis var. flavovirens (C.Mohr) Cronquist – Lanceleaf Blanketflower
- Gaillardia aestivalis var. winkleri (Cory) B.L.Turner – Winkler's Blanketflower
- Gaillardia amblyodon J.Gay – Maroon Blanketflower
- Gaillardia aristataGaillardia aristataGaillardia aristata is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family known by the common names common blanketflower and common gaillardia....
Pursh – Common gaillardia - Gaillardia arizonica A.Gray – Arizona Blanketflower
- Gaillardia arizonica var. arizonica – Arizona Blanketflower
- Gaillardia arizonica var. pringlei – Pringle's Blanketflower
- Gaillardia coahuilensis B.L.Turner – Bandanna Daisy
- Gaillardia flava – Yellow Blanketflower
- Gaillardia multiceps Greene – Onion Blanketflower
- Gaillardia multiceps var. microcephala – Onion Blanketflower
- Gaillardia multiceps var. multiceps – Onion Blanketflower
- Gaillardia parryi Greene – Parry's Blanketflower
- Gaillardia pinnatifida Torr. – Red Dome Blanketflower
- Gaillardia pinnatifida var. linearis – Red Dome Blanketflower
- Gaillardia pinnatifida var. pinnatifida – Red Dome Blanketflower
- Gaillardia pulchellaGaillardia pulchellaGaillardia pulchella , is a short-lived perennial or annual flowering plant native to the central United States.-Growth:...
Foug. – Firewheel- Gaillardia pulchella var. australis – Firewheel
- Gaillardia pulchella var. picta (Sweet) A.Gray – Firewheel
- Gaillardia pulchella var. pulchella – Firewheel
- Gaillardia spathulata A.Gray – Western Blanketflower
- Gaillardia suavis (A.Gray & Engelm.) Britton & Rusby – Perfumeballs
South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
- Gaillardia cabrerae (Lihue Calel, Argentina)
- Gaillardia megapotamica (Spreng.) Baker – Boton De Oro
- Gaillardia megapotamica var. radiata (San Luis, ArgentinaSan Luis, Argentina-External links:* * *...
) - Gaillardia megapotamica var. scabiosoides
- Gaillardia megapotamica var. radiata (San Luis, Argentina
- Gaillardia tontalensis (San Juan Province, ArgentinaSan Juan Province (Argentina)San Juan 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 at the west....
)
Hybrids
- Gaillardia × grandifloraGaillardia x grandifloraGaillardia x grandiflora is an ornamental plant....
hort. ex Van Houtte [G. aristata × G. pulchella]
Formerly placed here
- Helenium amarum (Raf.) H.Rock var. amarumHelenium amarumHelenium amarum is a species of annual herb in the daisy family known by the common names yellowdicks, yellow sneezeweed, and bitter sneezeweed. It is native to much of the southeastern United States and northern Mexico, and it is present elsewhere in North America as an introduced species...
(as G. amara Raf.) - Tetraneuris acaulis (Pursh) Greene var. acaulis (as G. acaulis Pursh)