| Coreopsis | |
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| Coreopsis gigantea | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Asteroideae |
| Tribe: | Coreopsideae |
| Genus: | Coreopsis L. |
| Species | |
Many, see text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Coreopsis (/ˌkɒriːˈɒpsɪs/[2]) is agenus offlowering plants in the familyAsteraceae. Common names includecalliopsis andtickseed, a name shared with variousother plants.
These plants range from 46–120 centimetres (18–47 inches) in height. The flowers are usually yellow with a toothed tip, but can also be yellow-and-red bicolor or pink.[3] They have showy flower heads with involucralbracts in two distinct series of eight each, the outer being commonly connate at the base. The flat fruits are small and dry and look like insects.
There are nearly 40 species ofCoreopsis, all of which arenative toNorth,Central, andSouth America.[1] The nameCoreopsis is derived from theAncient Greek wordsκόρις (transl. grc – transl. koris), meaning "bedbug", andὄψις (transl. grc – transl. opsis), meaning "view", referring to the shape of theachene.[4][5]
39 species are currently accepted byPlants of the World Online.[1]
Coreopsis is a variable genus closely related toBidens. In fact, neitherCoreopsis norBidens, as defined in the 20th century, is strictlymonophyletic.Coreopsis is best described asparaphyletic. Previously (1936),Coreopsis was classified into 11 sections and 114 species, but the African species were subsequently reclassified asBidens, leaving the North and South American species, some 75–80 in all, underCoreopsis. 45 species are in the 11 North American sections, and the remaining 35 are in the South American sectionPseudoagarista. The North American species fall into two broad groups, with 5 sections and 12 species in Mexico and North America and the remaining 5 sections and 26 species in Eastern North America.[4]
One group which does seem to be monophyletic consists oftemperate species from North America, including five sections ofCoreopsis,Bidens coronata andBidens tripartita, and the genusThelesperma (five species).[7]
Plants of the World Online accepts the generaAnacisSchrank,[8]ElectrantheraMesfin, D.J.Crawford & Pruski,[9]EpilepisBenth.,[10]LeptosyneDC.,[11] andSilphidium(Torr. & A.Gray) Mesfin & D.J.Crawford,[12] which other authorities, including the Global Compositae Database, treat as synonyms ofCoreopsis. Plants of the World Online treatsSelleophytum as a synonym ofCoreopsis.[13]
One classification (GRIN) of the genus consists of eleven sections,[14] shown bycladistic relationships with number of species in parentheses.[4]
South America, 35 species
North AmericanCoreopsis can be found in two habitats in the wild, growing along roadsides and open fields throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. In this environment the plant will self-sow.
Coreopsis species are a source ofnectar andpollen for insects.[3] The species is known to provide food to caterpillars of someLepidoptera species, includingColeophora acamtopappi.
Coreopsis can grow in a garden as a border plant, or in a container, preferring well-drained soil. Deadheading the flowers ensures it does not become weedy. Using theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)hardiness zones will identify what soil and climate is preferred for different cultivars or species.[16] Notable species found in cultivation areC. grandiflora andC. verticillata, as well as their variouscultivars.
The sunny, summer-blooming, daisy-like flowers are popularly planted in gardens to attract butterflies. Bothannual andperennial types are grown in the home garden (USDA hardiness zone 7a/6b).[3] In the Mid-Atlantic region, insects such as bees, hover flies, and wasps are often observed visiting the flowers.[3]
AllCoreopsis species were designated thestate wildflower of the U.S. state ofFlorida in 1991.[17] In thelanguage of flowers,Coreopsis means to be always cheerful, whileCoreopsis arkansa in particular stands for love at first sight.[18]
Data related toCoreopsis at Wikispecies
Media related toCoreopsis at Wikimedia Commons| National | |
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| Other | |
