Asteraceae
Sphaeranthus

Sphaeranthus fischeri O.Hoffm.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 20: 230 (1894)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Decumbent herb 0.3–0.4 m high, much branched with ascending branches; branches narrowly winged, the wings not continuous, denticulate, both stem and wings puberulous and glandular.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves lanceolate, 1–5 cm long, 0.2–1 cm wide, base decurrent, margins denticulate, apex acute to spinulose, hispidulous and glandular on both surfaces, also villous on midrib and margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Glomerules depressed-globose, 7–9 mm in diameter, enclosed by glomerule bracts of which especially the lowermost are large; peduncle 2–8 mm long, unwinged; receptacle flat; glomerule bracts broadly ovate (the outermost) to oblong, 5–6 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, mucronate with a spinose mucro, villous and glandular; capitula sessile, with 2 folded bracts 3.5–5 mm long, membranous and slightly puberulous distally.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets 1–3, mauve; female florets absent or 1–2, filiform, tube 2.2–2.8 mm long, lobes < 0.1 mm long, style 2.4–3 mm long, shortly bifid; inner floret 1, tube cylindrical or widening slightly, 2.7–3.2 mm long, lobes 0.2–0.4 mm long, anthers± 2.5 mm long; style 3.8–4.3 mm long, distally papillose, shortly bifid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes of outer florets cylindrical, 0.7–1 mm long, puberulous, of inner florets 0.7–1 mm long, glabrous and glandular.
Habitat
'heavy soil' (fide Leippert); 1500 m
Distribution
T2 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0