Asanthus is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, found only in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.D.J.N.Hind & H.E.Robinson. 2007. Tribe Eupatorieae In: The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants vol.VIII. (Joachim W.Kadereit & Charles Jeffrey, volume editors. Klaus Kubitzky, general editor). Springer-Verlag. Berlin, Heidelberg.Tropicos, Asanthus R.M. King & H. Rob.
Each of the species was originally named as a member of Brickellia, and later transferred when King and Robinson named the genus.R. M. King & H. Robinson. Phytologia 24(2): 66. 1972. Asanthus and Brickellia both have cypsela (achenes) with 10 ribs, but in Asanthus the style is glabrous and narrow at the base whereas in Brickellia the style has a pubescent, enlarged base. Molecular phylogenetic analysis has provided support that the two genera represent phylogenetically distinct lineages and thus should be recognized as distinct.Schilling, E. E., J. L. Panero, B. S. Crozier & P. Davila. 2013. Relationships of Asanthus (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae). Systematic Botany 38: 253-258.
The genus is named for American botanist Asa Gray, 1810–1888. His name is added to the Greek word "anthos" meaning "flower."Flora of North America, Asanthus R. M. King & H. Robinson
Species Asanthus solidaginifolius (A.Gray) R.M.King & H.Rob. - Chihuahua, Durango Asanthus squamulosus (A.Gray) R.M.King & H.Rob. - Chihuahua, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Arizona, New MexicoVascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness, Asanthus squamulosus (Gray) King & H.E. Robinson (Scaleleaf Brickellbush, Mule Mountain Brickellbush) Asanthus thyrsiflorus (A.Gray) R.M.King & H.Rob. (misspelled as Asanthus thrysiflorus when first published)King, Robert Merrill & Robinson, Harold Ernest. 1972. Studies in the Eupatorieae (Asteraceae) LXXIX: a new genus, Asanthus. Phytologia 24(2):65- 66 - San Luis Potosí, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Durango, Jalisco, Aguascalientes
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