Gaillardia aristata is a North American species of flowering plant in the sunflower family, known by the common names common blanketflower and common gaillardia.[3] This perennial wildflower is widespread across much of North America, from Yukon east to Québec and south as far as California, Arizona, Illinois, and Connecticut, although it may be naturalized rather than native in parts of that range.[4][3][5][6] It is also naturalized in scattered locations in Europe, Australia, and South America.[7]

Gaillardia aristata

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Gaillardia
Species:
G. aristata
Binomial name
Gaillardia aristata
Pursh 1813
Synonyms[1][2]
Synonymy
  • Galardia aristata Pursh
  • Gaillardia bicolor var. aristata (Pursh) Nutt.
  • Gaillardia bicolor Pursh
  • Gaillardia bracteosa Standl.
  • Gaillardia hallii Rydb.
  • Gaillardia perennis Loisel.
  • Gaillardia richardsonii Auct.
  • Gaillardia roezli Regel
  • Gaillardia rustica Cass.
  • Polatherus scaber Raf.
  • Virgilia grandiflora Nutt.

Description

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Close-up of emerging flower

Gaillardia aristata grows in many habitats such as plains, prairies, and meadows.[8] It is a perennial herb reaching maximum heights of anywhere between 20–92 cm (8–36 in). It has lance-shaped leaves near the base and several erect, naked stems holding the flowers.[9][10][11][12][13]

Each flower head has a center of about 12 brownish or reddish purple disc florets and a fringe of ray florets which are about 10–30 mm (121+14 in) long and yellow to reddish with dark bases.[9][13] Flowers bloom July to September.[8]

The fruit is a stout, hairy achene which may be over 10 mm (38 in) long including the long, spiky pappus.[9]

Uses

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Some Plateau Indian tribes used blanketflower to treat wounds and settle fevers.[14]

Gaillardia aristata is a widely cultivated ornamental plant, used as a perennial garden flower.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Gaillardia aristata". Tropicos. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  2. ^ "Gaillardia aristata". The Global Compositae Checklist (GCC) – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  3. ^ a b Calflora taxon report, University of California, Gaillardia aristata Pursh, Blanketflower, common Indian blanket, common gaillardia
  4. ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 state-level distribution map green indicates native; teal or blue-green signifies introduced
  5. ^ Sullivan, Steven. K. (2020). "Gaillardia aristata". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  6. ^ USDA, NRCS. (2020). "Gaillardia aristata". The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  7. ^ Discover Life, Gaillardia aristata Pursh
  8. ^ a b "Gaillardia aristata". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  9. ^ a b c Strother, John L. (2006). "Gaillardia aristata". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 21. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  10. ^ Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2020). "Gaillardia aristata". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  11. ^ Giblin, David, ed. (2020). "Gaillardia aristata". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  12. ^ "Gaillardia aristata". in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  13. ^ a b Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 150. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
  14. ^ Hunn, Eugene S. (1990). Nch'i-Wana, "The Big River": Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land. University of Washington Press. p. 353. ISBN 0-295-97119-3.
  15. ^ "Perennial Resource, where perennial lovers go for good dirt, Gaillardia aristata 'Arizona Sun'". Archived from the original on 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
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