Gerbera ( or ) L. is a genus of plants in the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. The first scientific description of a Gerbera was made by J. D. Hooker in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1889 when he described Gerbera jamesonii, a South African species also known as Transvaal daisy or Barberton daisy. Gerbera is also commonly known as the African daisy. Etymology The genus was named in honour of German botanist and medical doctor Traugott Gerber (1710 — 1743) who travelled extensively in Russia and was a friend of Carl Linnaeus. Description Gerbera species are tufted, caulescent, perennial herbs, often with woolly crown, up to 80 cm high. Leaves are all in rosette, elliptical with entire or toothed margin or lobed, petiolate or with a petaloid base, pinnately veined, often leathery and felted beneath. Single to several flowering stems from each rosette bear bracteate or ebracteate, simple, one-headed inflorescence-capitulum. Capitula are radiate, with several rows of bracts. Ray florets are female, 2-lipped, the outer lip is large and strap-shaped, inner lip consists of two small, thread-like lobes of white, pink or red, rarely yellow colour. Disc florets are fertile, five-lobed and irregularly 2-lipped with curled petals. Species Formerly included numerous species once considered members of Gerbera are now regarded as more suited to other genera: Chaptalia, Leibnitzia, Mairia, Perdicium, Trichocline, and Oreoseris. In accordance with International Plant Names Index genus Gerbera includes 22 accepted species: Section Gerbera Gerbera crocea Kuntze — Dialstee Gerbera grandis J.C.Manning & Simka Gerbera linnaei Cass. — Varingblom Gerbera ovata J.C.Manning & Simka Gerbera serrata Druce Gerbera tomentosa DC. Gerbera wrightii Harv. Section Lasiopus (Cass.) Sch.Bip. Gerbera ambigua Sch.Bip. Gerbera aurantiaca Sch.Bip. — Hilton daisy Gerbera galpinii Klatt — Galpin's gerbera Gerbera jamesonii Bolus — Barberton daisy, Gerbera daisy, Transvaal daisy Gerbera sylvicola Johnson, N.R.Crouch & T.J.Edwards Gerbera viridifolia (DC.) Sch.Bip. — Pink gerbera Section Pseudoseris (Baill.) Jeffr. Gerbera bojeri Sch.Bip. — Bojer's gerbera Gerbera diversifolia Humbert Gerbera elliptica Humbert Gerbera emirnensis Baker Gerbera hypochaeridoides Baker Gerbera leandrii Humbert Gerbera perrieri Humbert Gerbera petasitifolia Humbert Section Parva H.V.Hansen Gerbera parva N.E.Br. Distribution Gerbera is native to tropical regions of Africa. It was introduced into countries of Latin America and Southeast Asia. Uses Gerbera is very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers. The domesticated cultivars are mostly a result of a cross between Gerbera jamesonii and another South African species Gerbera