246. Parthenium Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 988. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 426. 1754.
Feverfew [Greek parthenos, virgin, or parthenion, ancient name of a plant; allusion unclear]
John L. Strother
Annuals, biennials, perennials, subshrubs, or shrubs [treelets], 1–120[–400] cm. Stems ± erect, usually branched. Leaves usually cauline, sometimes in rosettes; alternate; petiolate or sessile; blades elliptic, lanceolate, linear, lyrate, oblanceolate, obovate, ovate, rounded-deltate, spatulate, sometimes (1–)2-pinnately lobed, ultimate margins entire or toothed, faces usually hairy and gland-dotted (at least the abaxial). Heads usually radiate, sometimes ± disciform (P. alpinum), usually borne in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays (in glomerules in P. argentatum, borne singly in P. alpinum and P. ligulatum). Involucres ± hemispheric [rotate], 3–8(–12+) mm diam. Phyllaries falling, 10(–16) in 2 series, usually distinct (partially connate in P. alpinum), outer 5(–8) herbaceous to scarious, inner 5–8 ± scarious to membranous. Receptacles flat to conic; paleae cuneate to flabelliform, scarious or membranous, distally papillate and/or fimbrillate, all or the peripheral each ± enfolding a disc floret. Ray (pistillate) florets 5(–8), fertile; corollas ochroleucous, tubes stout, glandular, laminae oblong to reniform or orbiculate, or ± coroniform (none in P. alpinum). Disc florets 12–60+, functionally staminate; corollas ochroleucous, funnelform, lobes 5 (filaments distinct, anthers connate). Cypselae (black) oblanceoloid, obovoid, or pyriform, often ± obcompressed (shed together with subtending phyllary and 2 contiguous disc florets and their investing paleae); pappi 0 (shoulders of cypselae may bear 1–3 pappus-like, triangular to ovate, or ± subulate enations). x = 9.
Species ca. 16 (7 in the flora): New World, mostly warm-temperate and tropical, some temperate; introduced in Old World.
Mears, J. A. 1975. The taxonomy of Parthenium section Partheniastrum DC. (Asteraceae–Ambrosiinae). Phytologia 31: 463–482. Rollins, R. C. 1950. The guayule rubber plant and its relatives. Contr. Gray Herb. 172: 1–73.