Cotula mexicana

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Compositae

The largest family of flowering plants , the Compositae (Asteraceae), comprising about 1,100 genera and more than 20,000 species and characterized by many small flowers arranged in a head looking like a single flower and subtended by an involucre of bracts. A head may consist of both ray flowers and disk flowers, as in the sunflower, of disk flowers only, as in the burdock, or of ray flowers only, as in the dandelion.

Genus Cotula

Annuals or perennials , 2-25[-50+] cm (sometimes aromatic ). Stems usually 1, erect or prostrate to decumbent or ascending (sometimes rooting at nodes), usually branched, glabrous or ± strigillose to villous (hairs mostly basifixed ). Leaves usually mostly cauline [basal]; alternate [opposite]; petiolate or sessile; blades obovate or spatulate to lanceolate or linear , sometimes 1-3-pinnately [palmati-pinnately] lobed , ultimate margins entire or irregularly toothed , faces glabrous or ± strigillose to villous [lanate ] (hairs mostly basifixed). Heads disciform [discoid or radiate ], borne singly (peduncles sometimes dilated ). Involucres broadly hemispheric to saucer-shaped , 3-12+[-15+] mm diam. Phyllaries persistent , 13-30+ in 2-3+ series, margins and apices (colorless, light to dark brown, or purplish) scarious . Receptacles flat to convex [conic], epaleate (sometimes ± covered with persistent stalks of florets ). Ray florets 0 [5-8+, pistillate , fertile ; corollas white] (peripheral pistillate florets 8-80+ in 1-3+ series; corollas usually none). Disc florets 12-200+[-600+], bisexual , fertile [functionally staminate ]; corollas ochroleucous or yellow, tubes ± cylindric (bases sometimes adaxially saccate ), throats abruptly ampliate , lobes (3-) 4, ± deltate (sometimes one larger than others, usually each with central resin canal). Cypselae obovoid to oblong , ob-compressed or -flattened, ribs 2, lateral , sometimes becoming wings , faces ± papillate (pericarps relatively thin, sometimes with myxogenic cells and/or 2 lateral resin sacs ) ; pappi 0. x = 10.

Species 55: introduced ; s Old World; introduced also (perhaps some native ) in Mexico, South America, s Oceanic Islands .

Some species of Cotula are widely naturalized . F. Hrusa et al. (2002) reported Cotula mexicana (de Candolle) Cabrera as established on golf courses in California; it is similar to C. australis and differs in leaf blades mostly 1-pinnate, receptacles pilose , and disc florets functionally staminate.[1]

Physical Description

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Annual

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Cotula mexicana< /i> (Dc.) Cabrera • Soliva Mexicana

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: Data Providers: CONABIO, Govaerts World Compositae Checklist A-G, IPNI, MesoAmericana, Tropicos, Euro+Med, Colombia, Paramo. GCC LSID: urn :lsid:compositae.org:names:64942585-C031-44F7-8691-3B4F06AF761C

Last scrutiny: 04-Sep-09

Similar Species

Members of the genus Cotula

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 10 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

C. australis (Australian Waterbuttons) · C. bipinnata (Ferny Cotula) · C. coronopifolia (Bachelors Buttons) · C. coronopifolia 'Cream Buttons' (Brassbuttons) · C. hemisphaerica (Pin-Cushion Weed) · C. hispida (Goudknopjes) · C. matricarioides (Pineapple Weed) · C. mexicana (Mexican Brassbuttons) · C. pilulifera (Stinknet) · C. prostrata (Yerba De Tago)

More Info

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• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Bulletin of the Natural History Museum. London: The Natural History Museum, c1993-2002. url p. 158, p. 170.
• Compositae newsletter. Columbus, Ohio: Dept. of Botany, Ohio State University, 1975- url p. 76.
• Flora of Peru / Alwyn H. Gentry, Dillon Michael O., and Jones Samuel B. 5 1980 Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, 1980. url p. 15.
• Flora of Peru. Michael O. Dillon. 7 1981 Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, 1981. url list of illustrations , p. 5, p. 7, p. v, p. vi.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 11, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 18, 2007:

• Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad, Herbario del Instituto de Ecología, A.C., México
• Herbarium of the University of Aarhus, The AAU Herbarium Database
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 8284962
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Ast-5417
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15122173
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:198510-1
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: COME15
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 32698

Footnotes

1. Linda E. Watson "Cotula". in Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 52, 486, 543, 544. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.