Macledium kirkii (Harv.) S.Ortiz

Compositae, G. V. Pope. Flora Zambesiaca 6:1. 1992

Morphology General Habit

An erect perennial herb, 18–80(100) cm. tall from a small woody rootstock; roots spreading, thong-like.

Morphology Stem

Stems annual, solitary, usually branching near the apex, leafy, sericeous or araneose-lanate.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves discolorous; mid- to lower-cauline leaves mostly 5–15 x 1–2.5 cm., narrowly lanceolate and shortly acute, or these 8–16 x 0.5–1.7 cm., linear-lanceolate and tapering acute; lowermost leaves decreasing in size to the stem base, becoming scale-like; upper-cauline leaves linear and narrowly tapering-attenuate; bases hardly narrowing and sometimes subauriculate before becoming stem-clasping or stem-sheathing; stem-sheaths 5–25 mm. long, submembranous; margins flat and serrulate or strongly revolute; upper surface green and thinly araneose to glabrescent, lower surface white appressed araneose-lanate, sometimes sparsely so; 3(5)-veined from the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula 1-numerous, clustered or subpaniculate at the stem apex, or terminal on short axillary branches and racemose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres mostly 20–35 x 15–30 mm., spreading to c. 40 mm. in diam., broadly obconic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries numerous, greenish-stramineous, stiffly chartaceous, glabrous with margins araneose-ciliate at first; the outer 6–9 series stiffly diverging or ascending, the outermost 2–4 series patent to reflexed, increasing from c. 6 mm. to c. 30 mm. long, the largest up to c. 3.5 mm. wide or 4–7 mm. wide, flat and pale scarious-winged in the lower part, long-attenuate pungent with inrolled margins in the upper part; the innermost 2–3 series of phyllaries shorter, lorate or narrowly oblong, cuspidate, white membranous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corollas yellowish, 9–11 mm. long, infundibuliform; lobes c. 5 mm. long, linear, erect.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 2–4 mm. long, turbinate, densely long-ascending hispid; pappus copious, several seriate, of plumose setae 8–10 mm. long, shorter on the outside, seta bristles c. 1 mm. long.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect perennial herb 20–60 cm tall; stems white-tomentose.

Morphology Leaves

Lower leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 5–15 cm long, 0.2–1(–1.8) cm wide, attenuate into a membranous slightly expanded base forming a sheath around the stem up to ± 2.3 cm long, margins minutely remotely serrulate, apex acuminate, dark green and glabrous above, white-tomentose beneath, without a prominent subbasal vein on each side; upper stem and inflorescence leaves generally narrower, 5–10 cm long, 0.2–1 cm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula on rather slender pedicels, terminal and in axils of upper leaves, forming rather lax racemiform or corymbiform cymose clusters, discoid; involucre 25–38 mm long; phyllaries ± 80, multiseriate, the outer lanceolate, glabrous, pallid with paler membranous, minutely finely pectinate-ciliate margins, the outermost rather lax on upper part of pedicel, spreading or somewhat recurved, becoming erect and progressively longer inwards, acuminate, pungent, the longest ± 30 mm long, the innermost ± 20 shorter, membranous, narrowly oblong, obtuse, shortly acutely acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets ± 30, all tubular, hermaphrodite; corolla yellow, glabrous, 8.5–9.5 mm long, lobes narrow, 4.5–6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 3 mm long, densely hirsute with long ascending white or tawny hairs; pappus of plumose bristles, the outer shorter, the inner longer, subequal, 11 mm long.