Calenduleae

Calenduleae is a flowering plant tribe of the family Asteraceae. Calenduleae has been widely recognized since Alexandre de Cassini in the early 19th century. There are eight genera and over 110 species, mostly found in South Africa.

It is a relatively stable clade of the Asteraceae, with minor alterations. The tribe also occurs in Southwest Asia, some Atlantic islands, other portions of Africa and Europe, with non-native occurrences in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. However, three new species within the tribe have been discovered as recently as 2003.

Description

Plants in Calenduleae vary from herbs to shrubs and usually exhibit showy flower heads. The defining characteristics separating members of this tribe from others within the family are a dimorphism of the cypselae and the fact that each cypselae lacks a pappus.^[2] Calenduleae is named for its most economically important genus, Calendula, known in homeopathic remedies and as a common ornamental. Other genera from Calenduleae produce ornamentals as well, including Osteospermum and Dimorphotheca (see Asteraceae for a more general description).