Gaillardia aristata

Gaillardia aristata
Secure
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.

Gaillardia aristata is a North American species of flowering plant in the sunflower family.[3] It is known by the common names common blanketflower and common gaillardia.[4] This perennial wildflower is native to the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, but cultivars have been introduced in much of North America and Europe.[3][5] Blanketflower is an early- to mid-successional species typically found growing alongside native grasses, sagebrush, or conifers.[6][7] It is pollinated by a variety of bees and beetles, and host to Schinia masoni.[6][8] Indigenous communities of the Pacific Northwest and northern plains used blanketflower as an ingredient in a variety of medicines, including those for heatstroke, headaches, and tuberculosis.[9][10] The first Gaillardia aristata specimen was collected in 1806 on the Lewis and Clark expedition, and first described by Frederick Pursh in 1814.[8][11]

Etymology

The Latin name for the genus, Gaillardia, honors Gaillard de Charetonneau, an early French botanist.[12] The species name, aristata, means 'bristled' in Latin, which describes the trichomes covering much of the plant.[12]

G. aristata is known in multiple Salish dialects as 'spring salmon's eye' in reference to Chinook salmon.[13] The Okanagan name, mitl'mn, means 'painting instrument,' a reference to the way the tribe 'painted' blanketflower on their bodies to reduce pain.[13]

Description

Parts of a dissected flower head: phyllaries (left), ray florets (middle), and disc florets (right)
Close-up of emerging flower

Blanketflower is a perennial herb reaching maximum heights of anywhere between 20 and 80 cm (7.9 and 31.5 in).[14] The plant forms a slender taproot and one or a few stems.[14][15] Leaves typically extend about halfway up each stem, but can be solely basal.[14] Leaves are obolanceolate to lanceolate, 5 to 15 cm (2.0 to 5.9 inches) long, and sparsely to densely hairy.[16][15] Leaf margins can be lobed, toothed, or entire.[16] The involucre of Gaillardia aristata, which ranges from 10 to 20 mm (0.39 to 0.79 in) tall, is much larger than that of other species in the genus.[17] Phyllaries on the involucre are 9 to 11 mm (0.35 to 0.43 in) long, ovate, and bristled.[16][15]

G. aristata typically flowers between July and August.[18] Plants may also flower a second time between September and November.[7] Each flower head contains two types of floret: ray and disc.

Ray florets make up the margin of the flower head, and anywhere between 6 and 33 florets have been observed (though flowers generally produce between 12 and 18 florets).[19] Ray flowers are typically flat, 3 lobed, and yellow, but can also be tubular with five lobes and/or partially purple.[15][16][19] Ray flowers are between 10 and 35 mm (0.39 and 1.38 in) long.[15]

Between 60 and 120 fertile disc florets occupy the center of the flower head.[16] These 7 to 9 mm (0.28 to 0.35 in) corollas are densely hairy and are often maroon, though they can be yellow-tipped.[14][15]

The fruit is a stout, hairy achene which may be over 10 mm (0.4 in) long including the long, spiky pappus.[16] These seeds are the sole method of reproduction in G. aristata and are dispersed by gravity or potentially animal fur.[20][21]

Distribution and habitat

The genus, Gaillardia, originated in the Chihuahuan desert, though Gaillardia aristata moved northward following Rocky Mountain uplift.[3] Blanketflower is native to the Rocky Mountains and the upper Great Plains, and can be found in Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, Colorado, Idaho, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Saskatchewan, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.[3][22] G. aristata is introduced in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Wisconsin, and Yukon.[22] Blanketflower has been reported throughout much of Europe, as well as Australia, Argentina, China, India, Mozambique, South Africa, and South Korea.[5] It is considered invasive in Hungary and Russia.[5][21]

G. aristata grows in many habitats, including prairies, sagebrush grasslands, and coniferous forests.[23][7] Blanketflower is typically found on coarse, well-drained, loamy to sandy soils at elevations between 50 and 2,900 metres (160 and 9,510 ft).[8] It is tolerant of drought and moderately tolerant of salinity.[24]

Ecology

Blanketflower is a fire-dependent, early- to mid-successional species.[6][25] In addition to fire, it is tolerant of grazing and mechanical disturbance.[26] Blanketflower leaves and flowers are eaten by domestic sheep, and may be part of the diets of bighorn sheep, mule deer, desert cottontail, and Richardson's ground squirrel.[17][27][28][29][30]

Gaillardia aristata is mainly pollinated by bees, including bumblebees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees.[8] Butterflies, wasps, and the soft-winged flower beetle also serve as pollinators, and feed on the plant's nectar.[8][31] G. aristata is the host plant of Schinia masoni, a species of flowermoth.[6] S. masoni is maroon and yellow, allowing it to blend into G. aristata flowers when feeding and resting.[6] S. masoni lays its eggs between disc flowers, and blanketflower seeds are eaten by larvae.[6] Seeds are also eaten by deer mice.[20]

Uses

Some Plateau Indian tribes used blanketflower to treat wounds and settle fevers.[32] Okanagan and Colville peoples used blanketflower to treat backaches, kidney problems, and venereal disease, while Nlaka'pamux people used it for headaches, mumps, and tuberculosis.[13][9] Blackfeet people used G. aristata to treat gastroenteritis, sunstroke, and skin disorders.[10] The plant was also used to treat horse saddle sores and to make rawhide waterproof.[10]

Cultivation

Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Burgundy'

Gaillardia aristata is a widely cultivated ornamental plant, used as a perennial garden flower.[33] It tolerates full sun to partial shade in USDA Hardiness Zones of 2 and above.[34] Common cultivars include 'Amber Wheels' and 'Maxima Aurea,' which have fully yellow flower heads, and the Sunrita series.[35]

Most commercially available cultivars are hybrids of G. aristata and the closely related G. pulchella.[36] These short-lived perennials, called Gaillardia x grandiflora Van Houtte, flower June through September and can typically tolerate USDA zones 3 to 10.[37] Common cultivars include the Arizona series, 'Burgundy,' 'Goblin,' 'Oranges and Lemons,' and the Sunset series.[35]

References

  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 c d Marlowe, K.; Hufford, Larry (2007). "Taxonomy and Biogeography of Gaillardia (Asteraceae): A Phylogenetic Analysis". Systematic Botany. 32 (1): 208–226. Bibcode:2007SysBo..32..208M. doi:10.1600/036364407780360229. ISSN 0363-6445. JSTOR 25064239 – via JSTOR.
  4. ^ Calflora taxon report, University of California, Gaillardia aristata Pursh, Blanketflower, common Indian blanket, common gaillardia
  5. ^ a b c Randall, Rod P. (2017). A Global Compendium of Weeds (3rd ed.). Perth, Western Australia: R.P. Randall. p. 1597. ISBN 9780646967493.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Byers, Bruce A (2017). "Colorado fires and firemoths". Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 15 (1): 51–52. Bibcode:2017FrEE...15...51B. doi:10.1002/fee.1456. ISSN 1540-9295 – via Wiley Online Library.
  7. ^ a b c Pitt, Michael D.; Wikeem, Brian M. (1990). "Phenological Patterns and Adaptations in an Artemisia/Agropyron Plant Community". Journal of Range Management. 43 (4): 350. doi:10.2307/3898931. hdl:10150/644905. JSTOR 3898931.
  8. ^ a b c d e Gucker, Corey; Shaw, Nancy (2025). "Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)". Western forbs: Biology, ecology, and use in restoration. Reno, NV: Great Basin Fire Science Exchange.
  9. ^ a b Turner, Nancy J.; Royal British Columbia Museum, eds. (1990). Thompson ethnobotany: knowledge and usage of plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Memoir. Victoria: Royal British Columbia Museum. ISBN 978-0-7718-8916-5.
  10. ^ a b c Hellson, John C. (1974). Ethnobotany of the Blackfoot Indians. Internet Archive. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada.
  11. ^ Pursh, Frederick (1814). Flora Americae Septentrionalis :or, A systematic arrangement and description of the plants of North america. Containing, besides what have been described by preceding authors, many new and rare species, collected during twelve years travels and residence in that country /by Frederick Pursh ... Vol. 2. London: Printed for White, Cochrance, and co. p. 573. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.100.
  12. ^ a b "Blanketflower". www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  13. ^ a b c Turner, Nancy J.; Bouchard, Randy; Kennedy, Dorothy I. D. (1980). Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington. Occasional Papers of the British Columbia Provincial Museum No. 21. British Columbia Provincial Museum. pp. 83–84. ISBN 0-7718-8200-9.
  14. ^ a b c d Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C. (2015). "Class Magnoliopsida: The Dicots". A Utah Flora (5th, Revised ed.). Provo, Utah: Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-842502701-9. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Gaillardia aristata". in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  16. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  17. ^ a b Hermann, Frederick Joseph (1966). Notes on Western Range Forbs: Cruciferae Through Compositae. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  18. ^ Mueggler, W. F. (1983). Variation in Production and Seasonal Development of Mountain Grasslands in Western Montana. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station.
  19. ^ a b Robbins, W. W. (1908). "Variation in Flower-heads of Gaillardia Aristata". Biometrika. 6 (1): 106–108. doi:10.2307/2331560. JSTOR 2331560.
  20. ^ a b Hegstad, Ryan J.; Maron, John L. (2019). "Productivity and related soil properties mediate the population‐level consequences of rodent seed predation on Blanketflower, Gaillardia aristata". Journal of Ecology. 107 (1): 34–44. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13020. ISSN 0022-0477.
  21. ^ a b Süle, Gabriella; Miholcsa, Zsombor; Molnár, Csaba; Kovács-Hostyánszki, Anikó; Fenesi, Annamária; Bauer, Norbert; Szigeti, Viktor (2023-03-23). "Escape from the garden: spreading, effects and traits of a new risky invasive ornamental plant (Gaillardia aristata Pursh)". NeoBiota. 83: 43–69. Bibcode:2023NeoBi..83...43S. doi:10.3897/neobiota.83.97325. ISSN 1314-2488.
  22. ^ a b Kartesz, John T. (2015). "State distribution map of Gaillardia aristata - Great Blanket-Flower". Chapel Hill, NC: BONAP. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
  23. ^ "Gaillardia aristata". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  24. ^ Rao, N. K.; Shahid, Mohammed (2011). "Response of Gaillardia aristata Pursh to salinity". Journal of Applied Horticulture. 13 (1): 66–68. doi:10.37855/jah.2011.v13i01.15.
  25. ^ Antos, Joseph A.; McCune, Bruce; Bara, Cliff (1983). "The Effect of Fire on an Ungrazed Western Montana Grassland". American Midland Naturalist. 110 (2): 354. doi:10.2307/2425275. JSTOR 2425275.
  26. ^ Lyseng, Mark P.; Bork, Edward W.; Hewins, Daniel B.; Alexander, Mike J.; Carlyle, Cameron N.; Chang, Scott X.; Willms, Walter D. (2018). "Long-term grazing impacts on vegetation diversity, composition, and exotic species presence across an aridity gradient in northern temperate grasslands". Plant Ecology. 219 (6): 649–663. Bibcode:2018PlEco.219..649L. doi:10.1007/s11258-018-0824-4. ISSN 1385-0237. JSTOR 48725132.
  27. ^ Wilkins, Bruce T. (1957). "Range Use, Food Habits, and Agricultural Relationships of the Mule Deer, Bridger Mountains, Montana". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 21 (2): 159–169. doi:10.2307/3797581. JSTOR 3797581.
  28. ^ Wikeem, Brian M.; Pitt, Michael D. (1979-10-01). "Interpreting diet preference of California Bighorn sheep on najtive rangemand in south-central British Columbia". Rangelands Archives. 1 (5): 200–202 – via SciSpace.
  29. ^ deCalesta, David S. (1979). "Spring and Summer Foods of Audubon's Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus audubonii) in North-Central Colorado". The Southwestern Naturalist. 24 (3): 549–553. Bibcode:1979SWNat..24..549D. doi:10.2307/3671317. ISSN 0038-4909. JSTOR 3671317.
  30. ^ Hansen, R. M.; Ueckert, D. N. (1970). "Dietary Similarity of Some Primary Consumers". Ecology. 51 (4): 640–648. Bibcode:1970Ecol...51..640H. doi:10.2307/1934043. ISSN 0012-9658. JSTOR 1934043.
  31. ^ Mawdsley, Jonathan R. (1999). "Redescription and Notes on the Biology of Amecocerus senilis (Leconte) (Coleoptera: Melyridae: Dasytinae)". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 107 (1): 68–72. ISSN 0028-7199. JSTOR 25010294.
  32. ^ 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.
  33. ^ "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.
  34. ^ Parkinson, Hilary (2003). DeBolt, Ann; Rosentreter, Roger; Geertson, Valerie (eds.). Landscaping with Natives Plants of the Intermountain Region. Technical Reference #1730-3. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. p. 28.
  35. ^ a b "Blanket flower, Gaillardia spp". Wisconsin Horticulture. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  36. ^ Evans, Michael R.; Lyons, Robert E. (1988). "Photoperiodic and Gibberellin-induced Growth and Flowering Responses of Gaillardia × grandiflora". HortScience. 23 (3): 584–586. doi:10.21273/HORTSCI.23.3.584. ISSN 0018-5345.
  37. ^ "Gaillardia × grandiflora - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_aristata