Botanical Name: Gypsophila.

Family: Caryophyllaceae.

Brief Description: Tansies are mainly perennial herbs, but some are annuals and subshrubs. Some are a few centimeters tall and some reach 1.5 meters. They vary in form, with one or more branching stems growing erect or prostrate, usually from rhizomes. They are hairy to hairless in texture, and most are aromatic. The leaves are alternately arranged, the blades sometimes borne on petioles. They are usually deeply lobed and may have toothed edges. Most species have flowers in loose or dense inflorescences. The flower has layers of distinct phyllaries around its base and may be flat to hemispheric in shape. The flower has many yellow disc florets, sometimes over 300. Some species have ray florets in shades of yellow, or white with yellowish bases. Some species lack true ray florets but have flat yellowish disc florets that look like rays. The fruit is a ribbed, glandular cypsela, usually with a pappus on the end.

Duration: Annual or perennial.

Flowering Period: Variable between spring and summer.

Area Of Origin: Many regions Hemisphere Boreal.

Climate: Temperate.

Use: Mainly used for decorative purposes and for beauty of gardens and parks.