Asteraceae

Ethulia L.f.

First published in Dec. Pl. Hort. Upsal. 1: 1 (1762)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & Subtropical Old World.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual or short-lived perennial herbs with branching erect or decumbent stems, or stems somewhat strict; sometimes rhizomatous.
Morphology General Indumentum
Vegetative indumentum of short-stalked flagelliform hairs, or hairs short-stalked ± 1-armed T-shaped.
Morphology Stem
Stems ribbed, leafy, often becoming woody below and with a pith in the upper part.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, sometimes opposite on the lower stem, subsessile (shortly petiolate in some Asian species), broadly-to linear-lanceolate, lamina pubescent to glabrescent, glandular-punctate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula homogamous, small or very small, numerous, corymbiformly cymose sometimes subscorpioidly cymose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucres short, campanulate, cyathiform or subglobose; phyllaries imbricate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle flat, naked.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets 5–100 per capitulum; corollas purple, mauve, pink or whitish in upper part, limb regularly deeply 5-lobed, ± funnel-shaped and tapering into a short tube below, or limb subcylindric and ± abruptly contracted into a short tubular lower part, glandular, lobes without apical hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers with an apical ovate-lanceolate appendage and short obtuse basal auricles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style arms stout, subulate, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes ± equalling the involucre in length, subcylindric to turbinate or tapering obpyramidal, strongly 2–6-ribbed, the ribs confluent with a pale apical rim about a ± cup-shaped depression, or apical rim-tissue expanded laterally and the achene apex truncate with a prominent lateral edge, the faces between the ribs ± flat with few to numerous unicellular glandular trichomes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Pappus absent, though apical rim sometimes produced into a pappus-like structure.
Cytology
n=10, 20.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
 Annual or less often perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, sometimes proximally opposite, subsessile (in ours), linear or lanceolate, glandular-punctate; indument of simple multicellular and globose glandular hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula homogamous, small, in corymbose inflorescences, sometimes somewhat scorpioid simple or compound cymes; involucres short; phyllaries (2-)3-4-seriate, imbricate; receptacle flat, naked
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets white, pink or purplish, much exserted from the involucre, tube with a short tubular proximal part, distally widening gradually or widening into a cylindric part, glandular, lobes 5; anthers with short basal auricles and a distal ovate-lanceolate appendage; style branches stout, subulate, hairy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes more or less turbinate, especially the outer often curved and sometimes subcompressed, 2-6-angled and ribbed, glandular between the ribs, otherwise usually glabrous, truncate, crowned with an obscure to shortly tubular and irregularly toothed cartilaginous apical rim, cup or tubular cup contiguous with the ribs; pappus absent, or rarely a short corona.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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