Gutenbergia rueppellii is an African species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

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Gutenbergia rueppellii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Gutenbergia
Species:	G. rueppellii
Binomial name
Gutenbergia rueppellii Sch.Bip., 1840
Synonyms[1]
Ethulia rueppellii Hochst. ex A.Rich. Gutenbergia abyssinica Sch.Bip. Gutenbergia arenarioides Muschl. Gutenbergia elgonensis R.E.Fr. Gutenbergia oppositifolia O.Hoffm. & Muschl.

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Annual or perennial herb, 3–75 cm tall, sometimes rather woody and often densely tufted; stems erect or rarely decumbent or spreading. Leaves alternate or the proximal opposite, linear to narrowly ovate, (narrowly) elliptic or oblanceolate, 0.4–10 cm long, 0.1-1.4 cm wide, base cuneate to +/- expanded-auriculate, margins sub-entire, apex obtuse to acute, apiculate, green and sparsely pubescent to silvery- grey above, white tomentose beneath. Capitula rather few to very numerous in small to lax and diffuse terminal and upper axillary corymbiform cymes; stalks of individual capitula shortly white-hairy, involucre obconic-turbinate to campanulate- hemispherical 2–6 mm in diameter at flowering time; phyllaries 3-4 seriate, ovate to ovate-oblong, the inner 3.5–7 mm long, acute, pungent, straight or recurving at the apex, darker green and often purple-tinged at the centre towards the apex, densely pubescent to glabrescent, scarious and shortly pectinate-fimbriate at the margins. Corolla 3.3–7 mm long, purple or violet, rarely white, lobes white hairy with appressed hairs, 1.3–3 mm long. Achenes obconic-cylindrical or ellipsoid-cylindrical, slightly constricted towards the apex, often slightly curved, 1.2-2.2 mm long (7 or 10) ribbed, with slightly more prominent ribs alternating with slightly less prominent ribs, sparsely ascending hairy or glabrous, pappus absent.^[2]

It is named after the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell, who had travelled in Abyssinia in 1830.^[3]

It was found in Abyssinia,^[4] and then first published and described by Carl Heinrich 'Bipontinus' Schultz in 'Gedenkb'. IV (edited by Jubelf. Buchdr.) on page 120 and table4 in 1840.^[5][4]

The species is native to an area of central East Africa.^[1] Countries and regions that is occurs in are: Zaïre; Tanzania; Burundi; Kenya; Uganda; Somalia; South Sudan; Ethiopia; Sudan?; and Eritrea.

It is listed as a threatened plant of the forests of Cherangani hills, Kenya.^[6]

It grows on wooded savannas and on the edges of cornfields, at 850–800 m (2,790–2,620 ft) m above sea level.^[7]

It also grows on Dry bushland, open woodland or thickets and in grassland, on shallow soils over rock or on black cotton soils (Vertisol).^[8]

In Ethiopia, it is commonly known as Bututtu iluu and the leaves of the plant are used as fodder for cattle, sheep and goats.^[9]

It has one known variety; Gutenbergia rueppellii var. fischeri (R.E.Fr.) C.Jeffrey. with its own synonym Gutenbergia fischeri R.E.Fr.<^[1][10] The variety is named after the German explorer Gustav Fischer. It is native to Kenya and Tanzania, and was published by Charles Jeffrey (1934-) based on an earlier description by Robert Elias Fries in Kew Bull. Vol.43 on page 254 in 1988.^[11] It differs from the main form, in habit, leaf-shape, size of capitula (flower head) and achene (fruit).^[8]