Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth.) S.Moore

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb 25–120(–150) cm tall, rarely a short-lived perennial; stems erect, green, often flecked with dull purplish-red, pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile, obovate, broadly elliptic, rhombic or ovate, unlobed or pinnato-lyrately 2–8-lobed, 5–26 cm long, 2–10 cm wide, cuneate or attenuate and slightly decurrent onto an exauriculate petioloid base, margins usually coarsely and sometimes irregularly sinuate-serrate or sinuate-serrato-bidentate, apex obtuse to acute, pilose-setulose, sometimes with purplish margins or purplish-tinged beneath especially on main veins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula few to numerous in dense to fairly lax terminal corymbs, discoid, drooping in bud and at anthesis, becoming erect in flower and fruit; stalks of the individual capitula pubescent; involucre cylindrical or ± so above a somewhat bulging base, 9–13.5 mm long, 3–5 mm in diameter; bracts of calyculus 6–21, purplish or blackish with darker tips, 2–6 mm long, scattered-pubescent or at least ciliate; phyllaries 13–21, usually 21 or less frequently 13, yellow-green or green with purplish or blackish tips, 8–12.5 mm long, scattered-setulose, or rarely glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Ray florets 0; disc florets many, with orange-red or brick-red, rarely yellow corolla-lobes and red style-arms, tube often yellow, corolla 7–12 mm long, glabrous, slender, gradually expanded in upper third, lobes 0.5–1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 1.8–2.7 mm long, ribbed, shortly hairy between the ribs; pappus 7–13 mm long.

Habitat

In moist sites along rivers or lakes, in forest margins and secondary vegetation, a common weed of disturbed places and cultivation; 0–2500 m

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 P T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 W Africa from Senegal to Cameroon, Sudan, Ethiopia, and S to South Africanaturalized in large parts of tropical Asia and the Pacific