Emilia adamagibaensis Mesfin & Beentje

Tadesse, M., & Beentje, H. (2004). A Synopsis and New Species of Emilia (Compositae-Senecioneae) in Northeast Tropical Africa. Kew Bulletin, 59(3), 469-482. doi:10.2307/4110954

Conservation

Vulnerable (VU D2).

Distribution

Southern Ethiopia.

Ecology

Grassland or bushland with scattered trees, mostly Combretum molle, on basement complex with very thin soil; alt. + 1850 m.

Morphology General Habit

Short-lived perennial herb, erect, 10 - 25 cm high

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, sessile, linear- narrowly ovate, 20 - 50 x 2 - 5 mm, margins entire, revolute, apex acute-acuminate, sparsely to moderately densely pubescent especially on mid-vein and margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets pale pink to almost white; corolla tubular with slightly expanded limb, 6 - 7 mm long, lobes 1 - 1.6 mm long, glabrous, papillose near apex; anthers pale yellow to white, 1.4 - 1.5 mm long, connective subulate; style 6 - 7 mm long, bifurcate, apex truncate with short papillae

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle

Receptacle flat, 1.5 - 2.5 mm wide post anthesis

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes (immature) brownish, oblong or oblong- elliptic, 2 - 2.5 x 0.2 - 0.5 mm, densely pubescent; pappus 3.5 - 5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries green, 8, 4.5 - 6.5 x 0.8 - 1.2 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulous toward apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula solitary or 2 - 3 together in cymes, discoid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles

Peduncle slender, bracteate or ebracteate, 3 - 6 cm long, glabrous; involucre 4.7 - 6.7 mm long, 3.5 - 5 mm in diameter at anthesis

Morphology Stem

Stem branched and woody near the base, younger parts pubescent and green, greyish-brown and glabrous in older parts

Note

This species comes close to Emilia micrura C. Jeffrey but differs from it in having truncate style-arm apex, sessile (not attenuate) leaf bases, and in the stems and phyllaries being sparsely to moderately densely pubescent (not glabrous). Emilia micrura is known from boggy grassland at an altitude of 450 m from SE Tanzania. In the group of NE African taxa without ray florets it stands out by the very narrow leaves coupled to the glabrous achenes.

Type

Ethiopia, Sidamo, Adama Giba, 10 km SW of Kibre Mengist, 1850 m, 9 Nov. 1986, Gilbert & Ermias 8423 (K, holotypus; ETH, UPS, isotypi).