Gilia

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Gilia
Gilia achilleifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Subclass: Asteridae Order: Ericales Family: Polemoniaceae Genus: Gilia Ruiz & Pav.
Species
See text.

Gilia is a genus of between 25-50 species of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae, native to temperate and tropical regions of the Americas, from the western United States south to northern Chile, where they occur mainly in desert or semi-desert habitats.

They are herbaceous annual, rarely perennial, growing to 10-120 cm tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, usually pinnate (rarely simple), forming a basal rosette in most species. The flowers are produced in a panicle, with a five-lobed corolla, which can be blue, white, pink or yellow.

Gilia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia aurantiaca and Schinia biundulata (the latter feeds exclusively on G. cana).

Selected species

Gilia achilleifolia California Gilia Gilia aliquanta Puffcalyx Gilia Gilia angelensis Chaparral Gilia Gilia austrooccidentalis Southwestern Gilia Gilia brecciarum Nevada Gilia Gilia cana Showy Gilia Gilia capitata Bluehead Gilia / Globe Gilia Gilia clivorum Purplespot Gilia Gilia clokeyi Clokey's Gilia Gilia crassifolia Gilia diegensis Coastal Gilia Gilia flavocincta Lesser Yellowthroat Gilia Gilia gossypifera Gilia inconspicua Shy Gilia Gilia interior Inland Gilia Gilia involucrata Gilia lanuginosa Gilia latiflora Hollyleaf Gilia Gilia leptantha Fineflower Gilia Gilia malior Scrub Gilia Gilia mexicana El Paso Gilia

Gilia millefoliata Manyleaf Gilia Gilia minor Little Gilia Gilia modocensis Modoc Gilia Gilia nevinii Nevin's Gilia Gilia nudicaulis Gilia ochroleuca Volcanic Gilia Gilia ophthalmoides Eyed Gilia Gilia pusilla Gilia ramosissima Gilia salticola Salt Gilia Gilia scopulorum Rock Gilia Gilia sinuata Rosy Gilia Gilia stellata Star Gilia Gilia stewartii Stewart's Gilia Gilia tenuiflora Greater Yellowthroat Gilia Gilia transmontana Transmontane Gilia Gilia tricolor Bird's-eye Gilia Gilia tweedyi Tweedy's Gilia Gilia valdiviensis Gilia yorkii Boyden Cave Gilia

[edit] References

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Gilia
• USDA Plants Profile: Gilia
• Flora of Chile: Gilia (pdf file)