Gnidia

Gnidia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is distributed in Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, India, and Sri Lanka; more than half of all the species are endemic to South Africa. Gnidia was named for Knidos, an Ancient Greek city located in modern-day Turkey.

These are perennial herbs and shrubs, sometimes with rhizomes. Most species have alternately arranged leaves, and a few have opposite leaves. The leaves are undivided and unlobed. The inflorescence is a head of a few to many flowers. The calyx is cylindrical and the colored lobes may alternate with the petals; some species lack petals. Many species are similar in appearance and difficult to tell apart.

Molecular analyses have provided evidence that the genus is polyphyletic, made up of four different lineages. They are related to the four genera Struthiola, Drapetes, Lasiosiphon, and Pimelea.

There are 140 to 160 species classified in the genus.

Species include:




 * Gnidia anthylloides
 * Gnidia burchellii
 * Gnidia caffra
 * Gnidia capitata
 * Gnidia carinata
 * Gnidia chapmanii
 * Gnidia chrysantha
 * Gnidia chrysophylla
 * Gnidia ericoides
 * Gnidia fastigiata
 * Gnidia humilis
 * Gnidia insignis
 * Gnidia involucrata
 * Gnidia kraussiana
 * Gnidia latifolia
 * Gnidia microcephala
 * Gnidia mollis
 * Gnidia nana
 * Gnidia ornata
 * Gnidia pedunculata
 * Gnidia polycephala
 * Gnidia razakamalalana
 * Gnidia socotrana
 * Gnidia sonderiana
 * Gnidia spicata
 * Gnidia squarrosa
 * Gnidia usafuae
 * Gnidia variabilis
 * Gnidia virescens
 * Gnidia wickstroemiana