Bartlettina is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae (tribe Eupatorieae), order Asterales. The genus was erected to accommodate a group of species formerly placed in the broad genus Eupatorium, following revisions by R.M. King and H. Robinson that split the old Eupatorium into numerous smaller, more natural genera.
Members of Bartlettina are shrubs or perennial herbs with woody bases. The leaves are arranged oppositely on the stem and may have smooth or serrated margins. The flower heads are composed entirely of tubular (disc) florets, the characteristic form of the Eupatorieae tribe. No ray florets are present.
The genus is native to tropical regions of Mesoamerica and South America. With approximately 44 accepted species according to GBIF, it represents a moderately diverse element of the Neotropical flora. The best-known member is Bartlettina sordida, commonly called the blue mist flower or mist flower, which is widely cultivated as an ornamental for its clusters of bluish-purple flower heads and has become naturalized in parts of the world beyond its native range.
Distribution
Bartlettina is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Mesoamerica and South America. Bartlettina sordida, the most widely cultivated species, has become naturalized outside this native range following horticultural introductions.
Taxonomy Notes
Bartlettina was segregated from the formerly vast genus Eupatorium by R.M. King and H. Robinson as part of a comprehensive revision of the Eupatorieae tribe in the Asteraceae. Several names originally described under Bartlettina have since been transferred to the related genus Critonia or treated as synonyms within Bartlettina itself.
