Helichrysum schimperi (Sch.Bip. ex A.Rich.) Moeser

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb, woody herb or shrublet, erect with scrambling branches to 3.6 m high, or the whole plant decumbent and straggling; stems grey-green, with flaking white-woolly pubescence.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves grey-green, white or silvery beneath, ovate or lanceolate, with a petiole 2–17 mm long, blade 2–12 cm long, 1–7 cm wide, base cuneate or attenuate (rarely subcordate and abruptly attenuate), margins crenate or less often dentate, apex acute or acuminate, arachnoid-pubescent but glabrescent above, tomentose beneath; sometimes strongly 3-veined from the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula 2–4 mm long, homo- or heterogamous, several together in dense clusters which in turn are grouped to several orders, forming dense corymbose or globose cymes terminating branches, the axes tomentose; stalks of individual capitula≤1 mm long; receptacle very narrow; phyllaries in few series, imbricate, silvery white or pale yellow or sometimes (especially inK3) with a pink or reddish tinge, the outer ovate, the inner lanceolate, 1.5–4 mm long, 0.5–2 mm wide, acute, pubescent near the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets pale yellow, 4–7; outer florets 0–2, tube filiform, 1.8–2.2 mm long, wider at base, minutely toothed and glandular distally, style 2.2–2.3 mm long; inner florets 3–5, tube cylindric, 2–2.5 mm long, 4-lobed with lobes 0.2–0.4 mm long and often glandular, anthers 0.7–1 mm long, style 2.1–2.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes oblong, 0.6–0.9 mm long, glabrous; pappus caducous, 2–3.5 mm long.

Habitat

Montane grassland, secondary bushland, riverine forest, dry forest margins, giant heath zone; often in rocky sites; (900–)1350–3300 m

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 T2 T3 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4