Agrimonia bracteata E.Mey. ex C.A.Mey.

Rosaceae, E. J. Mendes. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Rhizomatous perennial herb with an ephemeral basal rosette of leaves.

Morphology Stem

Flowering stems up to 1 m. high, sparsely covered with both short glandular hairs and long, spreading hairs often of unequal length.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves up to 25 cm. long, alternate, imparipinnate; main leaflet pairs 3–4, alternating with 1–2(3) pairs of minute leaflets reduced to 1–3(5) teeth; leaflets of main pairs up to 6 x 3 cm., ovate-oblong to obovate, sessile, coarsely and acutely serrate almost to the base; superior surface sparsely pilose and beset with sparse sessile glands, inferior surface tomentose-pubescent and densely glandular; stipules foliaceous, broadly ensiform, dentate, shortly adnate to the base of the petiole.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences spicate, terminal, ± lax, mostly simple racemes up to 40 cm. long; pedicels short, bracteate at the base and bibracteolate at the articulation; bract and bracteoles usually 3-fid or rarely bract triangular and entire and then bracteoles subtrilobate to 3-fid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube turbinate, densely hirsute outside and armed with co hooked spinules below the calyx-lobes; calyx-lobes triangular, c. 2 x 1 mm. long, conspicuously 3-nerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals c. 6 x 4 mm., oblong to obovate, yellow, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10–15, arising from the margin of the annular thickened disk which almost closes the mouth of the calyx-tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels 2; styles c. 2·5 nun long, filiform, exserted; stigma dilated.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes (1)2, enclosed in the hardened calyx-tube, the latter turbinate-campanulate, hairy, grooved along almost its whole length, crowned with the accrescent hooked bristles (the outer bristles 1·5–2·5 mm. long, and deflexed, innermost ones 3·5–5 mm. long, erect); calyx-lobes connivent in fruit.