Athrixia rosmarinifolia Oliv. & Hiern

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb or subshrub 0.2–1.2 m high with one to several stems, much branched, erect or less often straggling, from a woody rootstock; stems grey-tomentellous and glandular.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile, lanceolate or linear, 1–6 cm long, 0.1–0.4 cm wide, base acute, margins revolute, apex acute and mucronate, white-tomentellous beneath, araneose-puberulous and glandular above but glabrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula 6–10 mm long, heterogamous, solitary or in few-headed cymes, these united in many-headed lax leafy corymbs; stalks of individual capitula 2–6 mm long; phyllaries pale green with dark tips, lanceolate to linear, 1.5–7.5 mm long, acute, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Ray florets mauve, pink or purple, 8–23, tube cylindric, 2.8–3.3 mm long, ray elliptic, 3.5–7.5 mm long, 1.2–1.6 mm wide, slightly glandular-hairy, style 4–4.3 mm long; disc florets yellow or orange-yellow, 16–94, tube cylindric, 4.3–5 mm long, lobes 0.2–0.4 mm long, anthers 2.5–2.7 mm long, style 4.7–6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes cylindric, 1–1.5 mm long, proximally with a few hairs; pappus of 9–12 bristles 4.5–5 mm long, barbellate, and an outer row of 14–20 shorter bristles to 0.5 mm long.

Figures

Fig. 93 (page 455).