Brachylaena discolor var. rotundata (S.Moore) Beentje

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

Morphology General Habit

A shrub or small tree to 7(10) m. tall, deciduous; branches brown to dark-purplish, lenticellate and narrowly sulcate, at first greyish- or brown-tomentose later glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petioles mostly 2–5 mm. long, sometimes to 7 mm. long; lamina mostly 4–10(15) x 2.5–6 cm., larger in coppice growth, oblong-elliptic to broadly oblanceolate or elliptic, obtuse to rounded rarely subacute at the apex, cuneate to ± rounded at the base, entire, sometimes repand-dentate to coarsely dentate towards the apex, sometimes spinescent-denticulate; upper surface thinly araneose especially when young, or glabrescent; lower surface pale-brown or greyish tomentellous with prominent veins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula sometimes appearing before the leaves, young synflorescences with buds in axillary and terminal spikes, mature synflorescences with numerous capitula in dense terminal panicles 4–40 cm. long, or in short raceme-like panicles in axils of old leaves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres cyathiform to obconic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries minutely glandular outside, subobtuse, margins ciliolate, the outer phyllaries from c. 1 mm. long and ovate, the inner to c. 5 mm. long becoming lorate-lanceolate, narrowly obtuse or blunt at the apex; the outermost 5–8 series decreasing in size and extending down to the base of the capitulum stalk.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers: corollas dull-yellow, 3–5 mm. long, lobes c. 1.5 mm. long and ± recurved; pappus uniseriate, setae 3–4 mm. long, subplumose, the seta barbs exceeding the seta axis in width. Female flowers: corollas dull-yellow, 3–5 mm. long, filiform, lobes erect up to c. 0.5 mm. long; achenes c. 4 mm. long, subcylindric-fusiform, narrowly c. 8-ribbed, pubescent; pappus 2-several-seriate, setae 4–5 mm. long, ± terete or flattened, seta barbs ± equalling the seta axis in width.

sex Male

Male flowers: corollas dull-yellow, 3–5 mm. long, lobes c. 1.5 mm. long and ± recurved; pappus uniseriate, setae 3–4 mm. long, subplumose, the seta barbs exceeding the seta axis in width.

sex Female

Female flowers: corollas dull-yellow, 3–5 mm. long, filiform, lobes erect up to c. 0.5 mm. long; achenes c. 4 mm. long, subcylindric-fusiform, narrowly c. 8-ribbed, pubescent; pappus 2-several-seriate, setae 4–5 mm. long, ± terete or flattened, seta barbs ± equalling the seta axis in width.