Askellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, placed within the tribe Cichorieae — the chicory tribe that also includes dandelions, hawkweeds, and lettuce. The genus belongs to the order Asterales and encompasses small to medium herbaceous plants bearing the characteristic composite flower heads of the daisy family, typically with ligulate (strap-shaped) florets.
The genus has a predominantly Central and High Asian distribution, with species found across the mountain ranges and steppes of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Kashmir region, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, and Siberia. Several species also occur in boreal and arctic-alpine habitats of North America, including Alaska, Canada, and the western United States as far south as California and Nevada. This disjunct distribution across Asia and North America reflects a pattern common to many cold-adapted alpine and arctic plant groups.
Askellia was segregated from the closely related genus Crepis (hawkweeds) and was formally established as a distinct genus, with species transfers by W.A. Weber and A.N. Sennikov. GBIF recognises approximately six accepted species in the genus, though broader taxonomic treatments list up to twelve or more, including Askellia flexuosa, Askellia elegans, Askellia pygmaea, and Askellia lactea.
Distribution
Askellia species are distributed across Central and High Asia — including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Kashmir region — as well as Siberia and the Russian Far East. Several species, notably A. elegans and A. pygmaea, also occur in boreal and arctic-alpine habitats of Alaska, Canada, and the western United States.
Taxonomy Notes
Askellia was segregated from Crepis and belongs to the tribe Cichorieae within Asteraceae. Species transfers were made by W.A. Weber and A.N. Sennikov. GBIF treats the genus as accepted with approximately 6 descendants, while Wikipedia lists up to 12 species with distinct geographic ranges across Asia and North America.
