Bidens magnifolia Sherff

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb or shrub, 0.6–3 m high; stem to 3 cm in diameter, ‘ringed’ with leaf scars, much branched, sparsely pubescent to glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ovate in outline, simple (near stem apex) to pinnatisect, 6–20(–26) cm long, 5–16 cm wide, when pinnatisect with 3–9 ovate to lanceolate segments 3–10 cm long and 1–4 cm wide, the terminal segment largest, margins serrate, apex attenuate, sparsely scabridulous on both surfaces; petiole 1–7 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula in terminal lax corymbose cymes; stalks of individual capitula 2–20 cm long; involucre 6–12 mm long; outer phyllaries 6–12, green, often reflexed, glabrous or pilose, inner phyllaries 8–10, free or partly connate; paleae to 8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Ray florets yellow, neuter, 8, tube 2–3 mm long, pilose, rays 20–35 mm long, 6–15 mm wide; disc florets yellow to brownish yellow, 7–8 mm long, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes dark brown, oblong to obovoid, 4.5–9.5 mm long, strigose, margins narrowly callose-thickened; pappus of 2(–4) aristae 1–3.5 mm long, with few barbs near apex, both antrorse and retrorse on the same arista.

Habitat

orest clearings and margins, secondary vegetation in forest zone; 600–2300 m

Distribution

not known elsewhere T3 T5 T6 T7