Cephalaria | |
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Cephalaria gigantea Tatarian cephalaria | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Dipsacales |
Family: | Caprifoliaceae |
Subfamily: | Dipsacoideae |
Genus: | Cephalaria Schrad. ex Roem. & Schult. |
Species | |
See text |
Cephalaria is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae,[1] native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa.
They are annual or perennial herbaceous plants growing to 0.8–2 m tall.
Cephalaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia imperialis, which feeds exclusively on C. procera.
Selected species:
Some species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens. The most popular species is C. gigantea, a perennial species from the Caucasus growing to 2 m tall, valued for its strong erect growth with dark green foliage and yellow flowers.[2]