Ristes

Ristes is a fictional genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, created for illustrative purposes in botanical pedagogy and speculative floras. In these works, it is described as native to western Mediterranean scrub and rocky outcrops, and it includes several species that share core characteristics but differ in leaf shape and flower color.

Ristes species are herbaceous perennials or small subshrubs reaching up to 1.2 meters. They have opposite, simple leaves with a slightly waxy surface. The inflorescences are heads (capitula) typical of Asteraceae, with yellow disk florets surrounded by 6–12 orange to pale yellow ray florets. The fruit is a cypsela, with a pappus of bristles aiding wind dispersal.

Taxonomic placement places Ristes in tribe Heliantheae within Asteraceae, distinguished by particular involucral bract arrangement and pappus characteristics in hypothetical keys used in teaching.

They are described as favoring well-drained, calcareous soils in open, sunlit sites, often on slopes and talus. They bloom in late spring to early summer, attracting bees and butterflies. Seed dispersal is wind-assisted via the pappus.

In cultivation, Ristes plants are used in rock gardens and drought-tolerant borders. They require full sun and well-drained soil; overwatering or shade reduces flowering. Although popular in teaching collections, they have limited availability in commercial nurseries because they are fictional.

The name Ristes may be derived from a hypothetical botanist "Riste" or used as a stylized term; no real-world person is associated.