Gypsophila | |
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Gypsophila repens | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Core eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
Genus: |
Gypsophila L. |
Species | |
about 150 |
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Gypsophila sp. seeds |
about 150
Gypsophila /dʒɪpˈsɒfɪlə/ is a genus of flowering plants in the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae. They are native to Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.Turkey has a particularly high diversity of Gypsophila taxa, with about 35 endemic species. Some Gypsophila are introduced species in other regions.
The genus name is from the Greek gypsos ("gypsum") and philios ("loving"), a reference to the gypsum-rich substrates on which some species grow. Plants of the genus are known commonly as baby's-breath, a name which also refers specifically to the well known ornamental species Gypsophila paniculata.
Gypsophila are annual and perennial herbs often growing from a thick taproot or a branching caudex, sometimes with rhizomes. The stems are usually erect and branching or sprawling, or in a few species prostrate along the ground. The leaves are variable in shape. The inflorescence is usually a cyme or a thyrse, branching intricately. Each small flower has a cup-like calyx of white-edged green sepals containing five petals in shades of white or pink. The fruit is a rounded or oval capsule opening at valves. It contains several brown or black seeds which are often shaped like a kidney or a snail shell.