home   about   search

biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Tribe: Senecioneae

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Asterids > Euasterid II > Family: Asteraceae

Twenty genera and 571 species are native to southern Africa, one species is naturalised and an additional 16 species are cultivated in the region.

Genera native to southern Africa

(based on Herman et al. 2000)

Cadiscus

Cadiscus aquaticus is the only species, endemic to the Western Cape.

Capelio

Three species native to southern Africa.

Cineraria

About 50 species, native to Africa and Madagascar. In southern Africa, 31 species have been recorded.  

Crassocephalum

The 24 species are found in Africa, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands and Yemen. There are six species native to southern Africa, occurring in summer rainfall regions.

Delairea

The only species is Delairea odorata, endemic to southern Africa

Emilia

There are about 90 species, native to Africa and Asia, with 11 of them native to southern Africa and two species cultivated in the region.

Euryops

Of the 97 species, 91 are endemic to southern Africa, other members of the genus extending into the rest of Africa, and one species occurring also on the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra.

Gymnodiscus

The two species are endemic to southern Africa.

Hertia

About 10 species, found in Africa and Southwest Asia, of which five occur in southern Africa.

Kleinia

About 40 species, native mainly to tropical Africa but also occurring in the Middle East, India and Sri Lanka. There are five species native to southern Africa and two species cultivated in the region.

Lamprocephalus

The only species, Lamprocephalus montanus, is endemic to the Western Cape.

Lopholaena

About 20 species, native to tropical and southern Africa, with nine occurring in southern Africa (summer rainfall regions).

Mikaniopsis

About 15 species, native to tropical Africa with one found in southern Africa.

Oligothrix

The only species is Oligothrix gracilis, endemic to the Western Cape.

Othonna

About 100 species, native to Africa, with 96 species native to southern Africa.  

Phaneroglossa

The only species is Phaneroglossa bolusii, endemic to the Northern and Western Cape.

Senecio

About 1250 species found worldwide but mainly in South America and Africa. There are 297 species native to southern Africa, one species naturalised and six species cultivated.

Senecio littoreus

Solanecio

The 16 species are native to tropical Africa, Madagascar and Yemen with two species, Solanecio angulatus (see Flora of Zimbabwe) and Solanecio mannii, found in southern Africa.

Steirodiscus

The six species are endemic to southern Africa.

Stilpnogyne

The only species is Stilpnogyne bellidioides, endemic to the Western Cape.

 

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002). The species name is provided in genera that have only one species represented in southern Africa.  

Gynura aurantiaca

Native to Indonesia.

 

Ligularia

Two species cultivated.

 

Pseudogynoxys chenopodiodes

Native from Mexico to the West Indies.

 

Roldana petasitis

[= Senecio petasitis]

Native from Guatemala to Nicaragua.

 

Tussilago farfara (Coltsfoot)

Native to Eurasia.

 

Publications

  • Herman, P.P.J., Retief, E., Koekemoer, M. & Welman, W.G. 2000. Asteraceae (Compositae). In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 101-170. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

  • Jeffrey, C. 1986. The Senecioneae in East Tropical Africa. Kew Bulletin 41: 873-943.