Kleinia


Kleinia is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family. Kleinia contains around 50 species and is distributed from Morocco and the Canary Islands, throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, South Asia and Indochina. It is closely related to the genus Senecio but is distinguished primarily by having succulent stems or leaves.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Kleinia are upright, perennial, succulent, 1–2.5 m tall shrubs or subshrubs with fleshy, 3–6 cm wide stems and tuberous roots.

Generative characteristics

The flowers are white, yellow, or red.

Taxonomy

It was described by Philip Miller in 1754.

Etymology

Kleinia commemorates Dr. Jacob Theodor Klein, a German botanist.

Species

The genus Kleinia has 56 species:
;SpeciesKleinia abyssinica A.BergerKleinia amaniensis A.BergerKleinia anteuphorbium DC.
  • *Cacalia anteuphorbium L.
  • *Senecio anteuphorbium Sch. Bip.Kleinia breviflora C.JeffreyKleinia caespitosa ThulinKleinia cephalophora ComptonKleinia cliffordiana C.D.AdamsKleinia curvata ThulinKleinia dolichocoma C.JeffreyKleinia fulgens Hook.f.Kleinia galpinii Hook.f.Kleinia gracilis ThulinKleinia grantii Hook.f.Kleinia gregorii C.JeffreyKleinia gypsophila J.-P.Lebrun & StorkKleinia implexa C.JeffreyKleinia isabellae Dioli & MesfinKleinia kleiniiformis Boom.
  • *Senecio kleiniiformis Suess.Kleinia kleinioides M.TaylorKleinia leptophylla C.JeffreyKleinia longiflora DC.
  • *Senecio longiflorus Sch.Bip.Kleinia lunulata ThulinKleinia madagascariensis P. HallidayKleinia mweroensis C.JeffreyKleinia negrii Cufod.Kleinia neriifolia Haw.
  • *Senecio kleinia Less.Kleinia nogalensis ThulinKleinia odora DC.Kleinia ogadensis ThulinKleinia oligodonta C.JeffreyKleinia patriciae C.JeffreyKleinia pendula DC.Kleinia petraea C.Jeffrey
  • *Notonia petraea R.E.Fr.
  • *Senecio jacobsenii G.D.RowleyKleinia picticaulis C.JeffreyKleinia rowleyana G.KunkelKleinia sabulosa ThulinKleinia saginata P. HallidayKleinia schwartzii L.E.NewtonKleinia schweinfurthii A.BergerKleinia scottii P.Halliday
  • *Senecio scottii Balf.fKleinia scottioides C.JeffreyKleinia squarrosa Cufod.Kleinia stapeliiformis StapfKleinia tortuosa ThulinKleinia triantha Chiov.Kleinia tuberculata ThulinKleinia vermicularis C.Jeffrey
;formerly included
Senecio articulatus Sch. Bip.

Use

Kleinia species are used as herbal medicine.