Orbivestus karaguensis (Oliv. & Hiern) H.Rob.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb or weak subshrub with several stiffly erect, tough stems arising from the small woody rootstock, unbranched except in the upper part; stems often tinged with purple, densely crispate-pubescent with ± asymmetrically T-shaped hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, ovate or elliptic, 2.5-15 cm long, 0.8-7 cm wide, base cuneate or rounded, sometimes attenuate, margins obscurely to evidently crenate, apiculate-denticulate or serrate, apex acute, green and (sparsely) scabrid above, pale greyish or whitish green and shortly crispate-pubescent to densely tomentose beneath; petiole up to 1.6 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula usually numerous in dense and copious compound terminal and upper axillary scorpioid cymes; involucre ovoid to obconic-cylindrical, 4-8 mm long; phyllaries 3-5-seriate, especially the inner purple-tinged especially on margins and towards apex, ovate, inner often elliptic, acute to obtuse, ± apiculate, sometimes recurving, the inner 3-7.3 mm long, pubescent and glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Corolla purple or mauve, 4.5-9 mm long, lobes 1.2-3 mm long, glabrous or with a few long fine subapical hairs, glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 2-3 mm long, 4-5-ribbed, shortly sparsely ascending-pubescent to glabrous, glandular; outer pappus of narrow oblong-lanceolate laciniate scales, 0.2-0.8 mm long, inner pappus white, 3.5-6 mm long.

Habitat

Grassland, where it may be locally common, also in wooded grassland, forest margins, woodland, old cultivations; 500-2850 m

Distribution

K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8

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

Morphology General Habit

A slender erect perennial herb, to 2 m. tall from a small woody rootstock, often with short stoloniferous rhizomes.

Morphology Stem

Stems annual, 1-several, branched above, ± densely pubescent, glabrescent below.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves subsessile, up to c. 12 x 4 cm., lanceolate-oblong or oblong, apex acute mucronate, base obtuse to broadly cuneate, margin entire or irregularly crenulate and ± revolute, upper surface scabrous, lower surface ± densely tomentose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula very numerous, in clusters arranged in a large terminal panicle-like synflorescence, or capitula scorpioidly cymose being subsessile and secund on synflorescence branches with short arching internodes; branches densely pubescent to tomentellous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres 4–7 mm. long, campanulate to obconic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries purple-tinged, 3–5-seriate, pubescent or glabrous, glandular; the outer ± reflexed, shortly lanceolate; the inner longer, linear-lanceolate, acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla purple, 7–8 mm. long, narrowly funnel-shaped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes oblong-cylindric, c. 2 mm. long, narrowly 4-ribbed, glandular and minutely pubescent; outer pappus of minute, narrow scales, inner of c. 5 mm. long, whitish, barbellate setae.

Compositae, C. D. Adams. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit

A shortly pubescent undershrub up to 6 ft. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Red-purple florets in heads 1/4-1/3 in. long, in cymes forming a panicle about 1 ft. long.