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 Flowering Baccharis articulata
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Some 250-400, see text |
Baccharis is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the family Asteraceae. They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are not at all related to these however, but belong to an entirely different lineage of eudicots. B. halimifolia is commonly known as "groundsel bush", and in fact Baccharis is not too distant from the true groundsels, Senecio.
The 250-400 species occur throughout the Americas. The genus is named after Bacchus, the Roman god of wine.
If present, the leaves are borne along the stems in alternate fashion. Flowers are usually white or pinkish. There are no ray flowers, but many disk flowers (which are staminate) and pistillate flowers.
Ecology and uses
Several species are of interest for cultivation, as the dense but flexible stem structure makes for a good windbreak. Other species, particularly Eastern Baccharis (B. halimifolia), have become invasive weeds in places such as Australia and Spain, where they are not native. On the other hand, a few Baccharis species (especially from the northern Andes) are almost extinct due to habitat destruction.
Plants of this genus are rich in terpenes, and some are used in native or folk medicine. One that has been specifically described from Chilean Baccaris is viscidone.
Baccharis species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, such as the swift moths Phymatopus californicus and P. hectoides. Those of the leaf-miner moths Bucculatrix dominatrix and B. seperabilis feed exclusively on Bush Baccharis (B. pilularis), B. ivella has been found on Eastern Baccharis, and B. variabilis is a polyphagous species which has been recorded on various Baccharis. The Coleophora case-bearers C. linosyridella and C. viscidiflorella are polyphagous species whose larve have been recorded on the Bush Baccharis as well as other plants. Caterpillars of the owlet moth Schinia ocularis feed exclusively on Broom Baccharis (B. sarothroides).
The flowers are rich in nectar, and several species are good honey plants. Particularly B. dracunculifolia is highly esteemed by beekeepers.
Selected species
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Baccharis |
- Pictures of Baccharis rhomboidalis, Baccharis sagittalis and Baccharis sphaerocephala growing in Chile.
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 5 December 2008, at 13:20.
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