Baccharoides sunzuensis (Wild) Isawumi, El-Ghazaly & B.Nord.

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

Morphology General Habit

An erect slender perennial herb or subshrub to c. 1.5 m. tall, from a large woody rootstock.

Morphology Stem

Stems 1-several, becoming woody below, simple, branching only near the apex, densely leafy, striate, greyish or pale-brown shortly-woolly or felted-tomentose; hairs short-stalked with an elongate oblique terminal cell, matted.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves subsessile, 4–18 x 1.5–4.5 cm., ± oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, apex acute to subobtuse or rounded, base cuneate to rounded, margins serrate to coarsely serrate, lamina coriaceous, sometimes ± discolorous; upper surface green, glabrous, and finely reticulate; lower surface appressed grey-brown tomentellous or felted; venation raised and finely reticulate beneath, somewhat obscured.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Synflorescence

Synflorescence large, capitula numerous in 15–60-capitulate clusters; capitulum-clusters terminal on stem and leafy branches; branches ± ascending, to c. 15(20) cm. long, grey-brown felted, capitula stalks 0 or to c. 5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucres 9–12 x 4–5 mm., ± narrowly subcylindric, not spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries tightly imbricate, longer to the inside, pubescent or felted outside where exposed, apicies ± differentiated but not appendaged, lower part coriaceous, stramineous, glabrous; tips green membranous and felted outside, apices rounded sometimes purple-tipped; the outer phyllaries from c. 2 mm. long, lanceolate-ovate; the middle phyllaries to c. 3 mm. wide, to oblong-oblanceolate; the inner phyllaries to c. 11 x 2 mm., narrowly oblong-oblanceolate and obtuse at apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets 3–4 per capitulum.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corollas pale-mauve to white, 11–14 mm. long, slender tubular below abruptly widening into a cylindric limb well exserted above the pappus.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes pale- to dark-brown when mature, 3–4 mm. long, subcylindric to narrowly turbinate, 10-ribbed (or 20-ribbed with the development of secondary ribs), strigose-hispid; pappus several-seriate, copious, caducous, the setae narrowly-flattened and barbellate, increasing from c. 2 mm. long on outside to c. 10 mm. long inside.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb 90–120 cm tall with woody rootstock; stems tomentose with simple hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves rather crowded, subsessile, oblong, 3–11 cm long, 1–3 cm wide, rounded then cuneate to a short petioloid base, margins coarsely serrate, apex shortly acuminate, glabrous or almost so above, thinly tomentose beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula very numerous in dense terminal compound corymbiform cymes; involucre 7–10 mm long; phyllaries 3–4-seriate, ovate to oblong, 3–8 mm long, white-tomentose, with glabrous reddish rim-like appendages, 0.7–3 mm long, 2–4 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Corolla white or pale pink, 10–12 mm long, lobes 2–3.2 mm long, glabrous, slightly glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 3.2 mm long, densely ascending-pubescent; pappus multiseriate, 2–10 mm long, flattened on the inner achenes.

Figures

Fig. 38/8 (capitulum), p. 168.

Habitat

Brachystegia woodland or secondary bushland or grassland derived from it; 1050–2200 m

Distribution

T4