Vernonia madefacta Wild

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

Morphology General Habit

A perennial herb or subshrub c. 1 m. tall; stems slender, pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves up to c. 15 x 7 cm., broadly ovate, membranous, long acuminate at the apex, rounded and abruptly contracted below into a long ± tapering-winged midrib, wing 4–6 mm. wide tapering into a short petiole, upper surface glabrous, lower surface very thinly pilose; margins serrate with apiculate teeth.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula laxly paniculately arranged on bracteate stalks; lower bracts leaf-like with subulate awns c. 3 mm. long; stalks slender, to c. 25 mm. long, thinly pubescent and glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucre c. 9 mm. long, obconic-campanulate; phyllaries scarious-membranous, not recurved, spreading, increasing in length towards me inside, outermost subulate becoming shortly lanceolate each with a long straight aristate awn at apex, inner narrowly lanceolate and acute-pungent at apex, purplish and pubescent where exposed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pale-mauve, c. 10 mm. long, widening very slightly upwards, lobes 3 mm. long, linear.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes (immature) 1.5 mm. long, obconic-cylindric, narrowly 8–10-ribbed, strigose pilose; outer pappus short, narrowly scale-like and barbellate, inner of whitish barbellate setae c. 7 mm. long.