Gymnanthemum exsertiflorum (Baker) H.Rob.

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

Morphology General Habit

A bushy shrub or small, branched tree up to c. 6 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems with grey, rough, longitudinally fissured bark.

Morphology Branches

Branches densely appressed-pubescent, the indumentum of T-shaped hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate; petiole up to c. 4 cm. long, indumentum similar to that of branches; lamina up to c. 23 x 9 cm., ovate to lanceolate, tapering to apex, base rounded sometimes unequally, or broadly cuneate, margins entire sometimes obscurely serrate, upper surface glabrous and somewhat shiny, lower sparsely to densely pubescent or appressed tomentellous, indumentum of fine ± matted T-shaped hairs, nervation somewhat prominent below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula very numerous in ± dense clusters up to c. 18 cm. across, or much fewer in lax terminal clusters, capitula stalks 3–15 mm. long densely pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres mostly 4.5–6 x 2–3.5 mm., subspherical to narrowly ellipsoid-cylindrical, ± contracted at mouth, less often 8–16 x 6–11 mm. and obovoid-oblong; phyllaries tightly appressed imbricate increasing in size towards the inside, outermost from c. 1 mm. long and ovate-acute, inner mostly to c. 6 mm. long, less often to c. 11 x 2–3 mm. and oblanceolate to very narrowly elliptic, apices acute to rounded submucronate, lamina somewhat cartilaginous, soon glabrescent, margins subscarious and ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets 4–20 per capitulum; corollas purplish-mauve or fading white, 7–11 mm. long narrowly funnel-shaped glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 3–5 mm. long, narrowly 2–3-angular turbinate, obscurely 5–10-ribbed or smooth, glabrous and ± glandular between ribs; pappus exserted beyond involucre and shaving-brush-like, outer pappus of short linear-lanceolate scales; inner of white or sordid flattened setae 6–9 mm. long closely serrulate-barbellate.

Diagnostic

Distinguished from V. bellinghamii S. Moore on leaf size and shape V. exsertiflora exhibits a similar pattern of variation in the inflorescence and involucre size and shape, namely a reduction in the number of capitula with a corresponding increase in size.