Cistanthe

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Cistanthe
Cistanthe umbellata
Cistanthe umbellata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Caryophyllidae
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Portulacaceae
Genus: Cistanthe
Spach
Species

45-50 - See text.

Cistanthe is a plant genus which includes most plants known as pussypaws. These are small, succulent flowering plants which often bear brightly colored flowers, though they vary quite a bit between species in appearance. Some species have flowers that are tightly packed into fluffy-looking inflorescences, the trait that gives them their common name. Many are adapted to arid environments, with some able to withstand climates that almost completely lack rainfall. Cistanthe was a genus created to segregate several species previously classified in Calandrinia. Several species from other closely related genera have been moved into Cistanthe as well.

Selected species:

  • Cistanthe amaranthoides
  • Cistanthe ambigua - desert pussypaws
  • Cistanthe arancioana
  • Cistanthe calycina
  • Cistanthe celosioides
  • Cistanthe cephalophora
  • Cistanthe cymosa
  • Cistanthe grandiflora
  • Cistanthe guadalupensis
  • Cistanthe maritima - seaside pussypaws
  • Cistanthe monandra - common pussypaws, sandcress
  • Cistanthe monosperma - one-seeded pussypaws
  • Cistanthe parryi - Parry's pussypaws
  • Cistanthe pulchella - Mariposa pussypaws
  • Cistanthe pygmaea - pygmy pussypaws
  • Cistanthe quadripetala - fourpetal pussypaws
  • Cistanthe rosea - rosy pussypaws
  • Cistanthe salsoloides
  • Cistanthe umbellata - Mount Hood pussypaws

[edit] External links

[edit] Further reading

  • Hershkovitz, M. A. (1991). Phylogenetic assessment and revised circumscription of Cistanthe Spach (Portulacaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 78(4) 1009-21
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