Syncretocarpus is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of flowering plants in the 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...

. It consists of 2-3 species of weak shrubs that are endemic to the Andean Mountain region of Peru, where they occur in dry, rocky canyons . It is a member of the subtribe Helianthinae, which includes the common sunflower.

Description and systematics

The genus is characterized by the presence of corky margins on the cypselae (achenes), as well as the presence in two species of a conspicuous elaiasome. It appears to be the sister group to the Andean genus Pappobolus, which lacks either corky margins or an elaiasome on its cypselae.

Species

• Syncretocarpus anchashino Panero & A. Granda P.
• Syncretocarpus sericeus S. F. Blake
• Syncretocarpus similis S. F. Blake