Tithonia is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae.[4][5]

Tithonia
Tithonia diversifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Subtribe: Helianthinae
Genus: Tithonia
Desf. ex Juss. 1789 not Kuntze 1891 (Phytolaccaceae)[1]
Synonyms[2][3]
  • Urbanisol Kuntze
  • Mirasolia (Sch.Bip.) Benth.
  • Tithonia sect. Mirasolia (Sch.Bip.) La Duke
Red Tithonia

Tithonia has a center of distribution in Mexico but with one species extending into the Southwestern United States and several native to Central America. Two species, T. diversifolia and T. rotundifolia, are widely cultivated and have escaped to become weeds in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. T. rotundifolia makes a nice fresh cut flower, flowering in mid- to late-summer in the Northern hemisphere.[6] The distinguishing feature of the genus is the peduncle, which is fistulose (meaning hollow and flaring toward the apex). The plants are coarse annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, and one species, T. koelzii, is a small tree.[7]

Species edit

Plants of the World Online includes:[8][2][9][10]

  1. Tithonia brachypappa B.L.Rob. - San Luis Potosí
  2. Tithonia calva Sch.Bip. - Durango, Sinaloa
  3. Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A.Gray – tree marigold - Mexico, Central America; naturalized in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Florida, Texas, various oceanic islands
  4. Tithonia fruticosa Canby & Rose - Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, Sinaloa
  5. Tithonia hondurensis La Duke - Belize, Honduras
  6. Tithonia koelzii McVaugh - Jalisco
  7. Tithonia longiradiata (Bertol.) S.F.Blake - Mexico, Central America (synonym T. pittieri (Greenm.) S.F.Blake)
  8. Tithonia paneroi (B.L.Turner) E.E.Schill. & Panero
  9. Tithonia pedunculata Cronquist - Oaxaca
  10. Tithonia rotundifolia (Mill.) S.F.Blake - Mexico, Central America; naturalized in Florida, Louisiana, South America (synonym T. tagetiflora Desf.)
  11. Tithonia thurberi Gray – Arizona sunflower weed - Chihuahua, Sonora, Arizona (Pima County)
  12. Tithonia tubaeformis (Jacq.) Cass. - Mexico, Central America; naturalized in Argentina (synonym T. helianthoides Bernh.)

Formerly included edit

see Comaclinium, Enceliopsis, Lasianthaea, Viguiera[2]

 
Mexican sunflower
Tithonia rotundifolia
 
Tithonia tubaeformis

References edit

  1. ^ "Tropicos, search for "Tithonia"". Tropicos.org. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  2. ^ a b c Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist Archived 2014-11-06 at archive.today
  3. ^ "Tithonia Desf. ex Juss". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1996-09-17. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  4. ^ Jussieu, Antoine Laurent de. 1789. Genera Plantarum 189 in Latin
  5. ^ "Tropicos, "Tithonia" Desf. ex Juss". Tropicos.org. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  6. ^ "Growing Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) from Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds". www.johnnyseeds.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  7. ^ "Flora of North America, Vol. 21 Page 138, Sunflowerweed, "Tithonia" Desfontaines ex Jussieu, Gen. Pl. 189. 1789". Efloras.org. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  8. ^ Plants of the World Online: Tithonia Desf. ex Juss. (retrieved 14 August 2023)
  9. ^ "Tithonia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  10. ^ "Species Records of Tithonia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  • La Duke, J. C. 1982. Revision of Tithonia. Rhodora 84: 453–522.

External links edit