e-Key v3 - Sphaeranthus
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Asteraceae - Plucheeae - Sphaeranthus L.

Description :

  • Annual or rarely perennial herbs or suffruticose plants, aromatic
  • Leaves alternate, dentate, usually decurrent, narrow, hairy
  • Capitula disciform, small, congested in dense, globose or ovoid to broadly cylindrical, terminal secondary heads, pedunculate, occasionally sessile; flowers reddish or purple
  • Involucre ovoid or campanulate; bracts few
  • Receptacle flat, epaleate
  • Marginal florets female; corolla filiform, 3-dentate
  • Disc florets functionally male; corolla tubular, 4- or 5-lobed
  • Anthers calcarate and caudate; cells of filament collar flattened; endothecial tissue radial
  • Style undivided, with obtuse sweeping hairs distally
  • Cypselas oblong, reduced, often hairy with uncinate or anchor-shaped hairs
  • Pappus 0
  • x = 10 (12, 13) (aneuploids, polyploidy, B-chromosomes)

Nomenclature:

  • Sphaeranthus L.
    • Linnaeus: 927 (1753)
    • Harvey: 115 (1865)
    • Ross-Craig: 1 (1954)
    • Merxmüller: 174 (1967)
    • Hilliard: 120 (1977)
    • Anderberg: 169 (1991)
    • Anderberg: 302 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 40, mostly Africa to India and Java
  • Southern Africa : Species 7, Namibia, Botswana, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

References:

  • ANDERBERG, A.A. 1991. Taxonomy and phylogeny of the tribe Plucheeae ( Asteraceae ). Plant Systematics and Evolution 176
  • ANDERBERG, A.A. 1994. Tribes Inuleae , Plucheeae , Gnaphalieae . In K. Bremer, Asteraceae , cladistics and classification . Timber Press, Portland, Oregon
  • HARVEY, W.H. 1865. Compositae . Flora capensis 3
  • HILLIARD, O.M. 1977. Compositae in Natal . University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg
  • LINNAEUS, C. VON. 1753. Species plantarum . Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • MERXMÜLLER, H. 1967. Asteraceae . Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 139
  • ROSS-CRAIG, S. 1954. A revision of the genus Sphaeranthus . Hooker's Icones Plantarum 5th series, 6(1)