Macledium poggei (O.Hoffm.) S.Ortiz

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

Morphology General Habit

An erect slender perennial herb, 35–70 cm. tall from a woody rootstock; roots numerous thong-like.

Morphology Stem

Stems annual, 1–3, simple, leafy, thinly whitish araneose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves discolorous, softly sericeous, subsessile; 2.5–11(13) x 0.4–1.5(2.5) cm., lorate- or linear-elliptic, usually shortly tapered to an acute apex, cuneate or shortly subpetiolate below, margins strongly revolute, upper surface green and glabrous, lower surface white araneose-sericeous (the indumentum sometimes peeling off); midrib impressed on upper surface, prominent beneath, venation finely reticulate and prominent on both surfaces or obscured by the indumentum below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula 3–21, ± spicately arranged, subsessile and usually solitary in upper leaf axils, sometimes somewhat clustered at the stem apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres mostly 15–20 mm. long, 10–20(25) mm. in diam. in upper part, obconic-campanulate, whitish araneose-lanate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries greenish-stramineous, stiffly chartaceous, araneose-ciliate on the margins otherwise glabrous; the outer 6–8 series straight, loosely stiffly diverging (not patent or reflexed and not extending onto the capitulum stalk), from c. 3 mm. long outside to c. 20 mm. inside, lanceolate-subulate, ± scarious-winged in the lower part, flat or inrolled and long-acuminate pungent above; the inner 1–2 series of phyllaries shorter, lorate, whitish membranous and attenuate or sharply cuspidate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corollas yellowish, ± equalling the inner phyllaries, 8–10 mm. long, infundibuliform; lobes 4–5 mm. long, linear, erect; achenes to c. 3 mm. long, turbinate, densely long ascending hispid; pappus copious, several-seriate, of plumose setae 8–9 mm. long, shorter on the outside, seta bristles c. 1 mm. long.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect perennial herb 30–40 cm tall; stems white-tomentose.

Morphology Leaves

Lower leaves elliptic or oblanceolate-elliptic, ± 15 cm long and 4 cm wide, cuneate into a membranous slightly expanded petioloid base forming a sheath around the stem, margins minutely remotely denticulate, apex obtuse, minutely apiculate, dark green and glabrous above, white-tomentose beneath, with two prominent ascending subbasal veins on each side; upper stem and inflorescence leaves generally narrower, ± 7.5 cm long and 1 cm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula on short pedicels, terminal and in axils of upper leaves, forming rather lax racemiform or corymbiform cymose clusters, discoid; involucre ± 33 mm long; phyllaries ± 90, multiseriate, the outer narrowly lanceolate, glabrous, pallid green with paler membranous, very minutely pectinate-ciliate margins, becoming progressively longer inwards, the longest ± 26 mm long, acutely acuminate, pungent, the innermost ± 15 shorter, membranous, oblong, obtuse to subacute, shortly to obscurely apiculate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets ± 40, all tubular, hermaphrodite; corolla white or yellow, glabrous, ± 10.5 mm long, lobes narrow, 6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 3 mm long, densely hirsute with long ascending white or tawny hairs; pappus of numerous plumose bristles, the outer shorter, the inner longer, subequal, 9.5 mm long.

Habitat

Brachystegia woodland or wet grassland; 850–2000 m

Distribution

T4

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

Morphology General Habit

An erect slender perennial herb, 25–70 cm. tall from a woody rootstock; roots numerous spreading thong-like.

Morphology Stem

Stems annual, usually single, simple, leafy, thinly whitish araneose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves discolorous, softly coriaceous, sessile, mostly 7–150 x 15–55 mm., narrowly to broadly elliptic, acute to obtuse at the apex, ± broadly cuneate below tapering into a ± deeply cleft stem-sheathing base 10–35 mm. long; margins sparsely callose-denticulate; upper surface green, glabrous; lower surface white araneose (the indumentum sometimes peeling off); strongly 3–5-nerved from the base, tertiary venation finely reticulate and subprominent on both surfaces or obscured by indumentum below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula 2–15, subsessile or shortly stalked, 2–6 clustered at the stem apex, usually with 1–3 in the axils of upper leaves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres mostly 25–40 mm. long, 20–30 mm. in diam. in upper part, obconic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries green chartaceous glabrous, sharply serrulate-ciliolate, apparently dimorphic; the outer c. 7 series straight, loosely diverging, the outermost extending briefly onto the capitulum stalk, from c. 7 mm. long outside to c. 35 mm. long inside, subulate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, broadly scarious-winged in the lowerpart, inrolled and long-acuminate pungent above; the inner 1 -2 series shorter, to c. 17 mm. long, lorate, distinctly scarious-winged and cuspidate at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corollas creamy or brownish with purplish lobes, 8–12 mm. long, narrowly infundibuliform; lobes 5–6 mm. long, linear erect; achenes 1.5–2.5 mm. long, turbinate, densely long ascending hispid; pappus copious, several seriate, of plumose white setae 9–11 mm. long, shorter on the outside, seta bristles c. 1 mm. long.