Cephalaria

Cephalaria
Cephalaria gigantea
Tatarian cephalaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Cephalaria
Schrad. ex Roem. & Schult.
Species

See text

Cephalaria is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae,[1] native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa.

They are annual or perennial herbaceous plants growing to 0.8-2 m tall.

Cephalaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia imperialis, which feeds exclusively on C. procera.

Selected species:

Cultivation and uses

Some species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens; the most popular species is C. gigantea, a perennial species from the Caucasus growing to 2 m tall, valued for its strong erect growth with dark green foliage and yellow flowers (Huxley 1992).

References

  1. "Cephalaria", The Plant List (version 1.1), retrieved 2014-09-19