Lessingia

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Lessingia_leptoclada_2.jpeg |image_caption = ''Lessingia leptoclada'' |display_parents = 3 |taxon = Lessingia |authority = Cham. |type_species = ''Lessingia germanorum''<ref>[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40005526 Tropicos, ''Lessingia'' Cham.]</ref> |type_species_authority = Cham. }}

'''''Lessingia''''' is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae which are native to western North America. Several species are endemic to California.<ref>[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/95576#page/682/mode/1up Chamisso, Ludolf Karl Adelbert von. 1829. Linnaea 4(2): plate II (2), figure 2] line drawings of Lessingia germanorum</ref><ref>[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/95576#page/255/mode/1up Chamisso, Ludolf Karl Adelbert von. 1829. Linnaea 4(2): 203–204] in Latin</ref><ref>Lane, M. A. (1992). New combinations in Californian ''Lessingia'' (Compositae: Astereae). Novon 2:3 213-14.</ref>

''Lessingias'' are generally daisy-like in appearance with white, yellow, or purple flowers, but they vary in appearance. Some lessingias are sometimes treated as members of different genera, such as ''Benitoa''. The San Francisco lessingia, ''Lessingia germanorum'', is an endangered species.<ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=118327 Flora of North America Vol. 20 Page 452 ''Lessingia'' Chamisso, Linnaea. 4: 203, plate 2, fig. 2. 1829. ]</ref><ref>Markos, S. and B. G. Baldwin. 2001. Higher-level relationships and major lineages of ''Lessingia'' (Compositae, Astereae) based on nuclear rDNA internal and external transcribed spacer (ITS and ETS) sequences. Systematic Botany 26: 168–183</ref><ref>Markos, S. 2005. Taxonomic changes in ''Lessingia'' (Compositae: Astereae). Madroño 52: 60–61.</ref>

; Species<ref name=u>[https://archive.today/20141106174748/http://dixon.iplantcollaborative.org/CompositaeWeb/Default.aspx?Page=AdvNameSearch Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist search for ''Lessingia'' ]</ref><ref>[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Lessingia The Plant List search for ''Lessingia'']</ref> * ''Lessingia arachnoidea'' - Crystal Springs lessingia - California (Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Cruz Cos) * ''Lessingia germanorum'' - San Francisco lessingia - California (San Mateo Co) * ''Lessingia glandulifera'' - valley lessingia - California, Arizona, Nevada * ''Lessingia hololeuca'' - woollyhead lessingia - California (from Yolo + Sonoma Cos to Monterey Co) * ''Lessingia lemmonii'' - Lemmon's lessingia - Arizona, California * ''Lessingia leptoclada'' - Sierra lessingia - California (from Plumas Co to Los Angeles Co) * ''Lessingia micradenia'' - Mt. Tamalpais lessingia - California (Marin + Santa Clara Cos) * ''Lessingia nana'' - dwarf lessingia - California (From Tehama Co to Kern Co) * ''Lessingia nemaclada'' - slenderstem lessingia - California (From Siskiyou Co to Kern Co) * ''Lessingia pectinata'' - Sonoma lessingia - California (From San Bernardino Co to Contra Coasta + El Dorado Cos) * ''Lessingia ramulosa'' - California (From Tehama Co to Marin Co) * ''Lessingia tenuis'' - spring lessingia - California (From Ventura Co to Alameda Co) * ''Lessingia virgata'' - wand lessingia - California (From Fresno Co to Shasta Co)

; Formerly included<ref name=u/> Some species once regarded as part of ''Lessingia'' are now considered more suited to other genera: ''Artemisia'', ''Benitoa'', ''Cacalia'', ''Chrysolaena'', ''Corethrogyne'', ''Lessingianthus'', ''Vernonia''.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LESSI USDA Plants Profile] * [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1530 Jepson Manual Treatment]

Category:Lessingia Category:Asteraceae genera Category:Flora of the Western United States Category:Taxa named by Adelbert von Chamisso