Gerbera L. is a genus of ornamental plants from the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It was named in honor of the German naturalist Traugott Gerber, a friend of Carolus Linnaeus.
It has more 40 species in the wild, extending to South America, Africa, Madagascar, and tropical Asia.
Gerbera species bear a large capitulum with striking, two-lipped ray florets in yellow, orange, white, pink or red colors. The capitulum, which has the appearance of a single flower, is actually composed of hundreds of individual flowers. The morphology of the flowers varies depending on their position in the capitulum.
Gerbera in variety color
Gerbera is very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers. They vary greatly in shape and size. Colors include white, yellow, orange, red, and pink. The center of the flower is sometimes black. Often the same flower can have petals of several different colors.
Gerbera is also important commercially. It is the fifth most used cut flower in the world (after rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, and tulip.It is also used as a model organism in studying flower formation. Gerbera contains naturally occurring coumarin derivatives.
