florea

Florea is a fictional genus of flowering plants used in educational contexts to illustrate taxonomic concepts. In the standard fictional account, it belongs to the family Asteraceae and includes two described species, Florea alba and Florea rubra.

Flora and morphology: Florea species are herbaceous perennials with upright stems, simple to lanceolate leaves, and composite flower heads. Florea alba has white ray florets around a pale yellow disc; Florea rubra has red to pink ray florets with a yellow disc. Typical height is 40–90 cm, and flowering occurs in spring to early summer.

Distribution and habitat: Described as native to temperate meadows and woodlands in the fictional region of Floralia, Florea thrives in well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade. It is occasionally grown in ornamental borders and educational collections.

Taxonomy and etymology: The genus name Florea derives from Latin flos, floris, meaning flower. It was coined by the botanist I. Florensis in 1894. The two species are Florea alba and Florea rubra.

Ecology and uses: Florea attracts pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. In pedagogy, it serves as a simple model for leaf arrangement, inflorescence structure, and species delimitation within a genus.