Erechtites is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family known commonly as fireweeds or burnweeds. They are native to the Americas and Australia, but some species are widely distributed weeds.
Description
Erechtites consists of annual or perennial herbs with large taproots and very often with a pungent odor. Leaves are usually ovate or lanceolate (sometimes pinnately lobed or pinnatifid). Flower heads may sometimes contain as many as 100 yellow or white (rarely pink) disc florets but no ray florets.
Taxonomy and species
Some species in this genus are treated as members of Senecio by some authors, and several other species are considered variants of Erechtites hieraciifolius, so there may be as few as 5 distinct species in this genus. In particular, not all authors agree on whether to include a dozen or so species native to Australia and New Zealand in Erechtites.
Species
27 species are recognised by Plants of the World Online
Erechtites apargiifolius Sond. - Australia
Erechtites atkinsoniae F.Muell. - Australia
Erechtites bathurstianus DC. - Australia
Erechtites bukaensis Rechinger & Muschl. - Solomon Islands
Erechtites diversifolius Petrie. - New Zealand
Erechtites glabrescens DC. - Australia
Erechtites glomeratus (Desf. ex Poir.) DC. - Australia, New Zealand
Erechtites glossanthus Sond. - Australia
Erechtites goyazensis (Gardner) Cabrera - South America
Erechtites gunnii Hook.f. - Australia
Erechtites hieraciifolius (L.) Raf. ex DC. - North America, South America, West Indies; introduced in Europe and Asia
Erechtites hispidulus (A.Rich.) DC. - Australia
Erechtites ignobilis Baker - South America
Erechtites kermadecensis (Belcher) Allan - Kermadec Islands
Erechtites laceratus F.Muell. - Australia
Erechtites leptanthus (Phil.) Cabrera - Chile
Erechtites minimus (Poir.) DC. - Australia, New Zealand
Erechtites missionum Malme - South America
Erechtites petiolatus Benth. - South America
Erechtites picridioides Turcz. - Australia
Erechtites quadridentatus (Labill.) DC....
