Asteraceae
Vernonia

Vernonia kawoziensis F.G.Davies

First published in Kew Bull. 31: 170 (1976)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Malawi.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb with 1–several annual stems to 80 cm high from a creeping woody rhizome; young branches sparsely scabridulous-pilose.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves obovate, 4–19 cm long, 1.5–4.5 cm wide, base long-attenuate, margins subentire to spiny-denticulate, apex acute, scabrid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminal, subspicate, the capitula sessile on the branch in the axil of a reduced leaf or in small Groups on short side-branches to 1 cm long; involucre obconic, 17–21 mm long; phyllaries 4–5-seriate, straw-coloured with purple tip, lanceolate, 3–19 mm long, acute-aristate, glabrous to hispid, pectinate-ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets 5–15 per capitulum; corolla bright bluish purple, 14–19 mm long including lobes of 4–5 mm long with a tiny tuft of hair at apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes ellipsoid, 7–9 mm long, 8–10-ribbed, pubescent; pappus in several series, outer of short scale-like setae, inner of setae 10–13 mm long.
Habitat
Dense woodland; 950–1200 m
Distribution
T4
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
A tufted harsh perennial herb, up to c. 75 cm. tall from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems annual, many, simple, erect, ribbed and sparsely hispid.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves subsessile, up to 6 x 2.3 cm., oblanceolate to elliptic, apex acute mucronate, base cuneate, margins subentire to sparsely serrate, lamina leathery, scabrous on both sides; lowermost leaves smaller, upper leaves becoming bract-like.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula 3–13, corymbiformly cymose at the stem apex on stiff bracteate stalks up to c. 7 cm. long; bracts subulate and crowded below the capitula.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucres up to c. 20 mm. long, obconic.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries
Phyllaries many-seriate, increasing markedly in size towards the inside, cartilaginous, hispid-scabridulous outside and hispid-muricate inside the apex, the margins pectinate-denticulate; the outer phyllaries c. 4 mm. long, lanceolate-subulate and extending onto the capitulum stalk; the innermost up to c. 18 mm. long, strap-shaped tapering to an acuminate purple-tipped aristate apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle shallowly alveolate, alveolae walls fimbriate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla deep blue, 17–19 mm. long, slender-tubular below widening slightly above into a short limb, lobes 4–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes 7–9 mm. long, subcylindric, tapering to the base, c. 10-ribbed, densely strigose; outer pappus of short, linear, acuminate, scale-like setae; inner pappus of copious, flattened, subplumose setae c. 13 mm. long.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0