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

Asteraceae - Lactuceae - *Picris L.

Description :

  • Annual or perennial herbs, roughly hairy, with milky latex
  • Stems erect, branched, ribbed, hispid
  • Leaves rosulate and alternate along stems, entire, coarsely toothed or pinnatifid
  • Capitula ligulate, solitary at ends of branches, rarely corymbose
  • Involucre ovoid-urceolate or campanulate; bracts in several rows, outer ones ovate, pungent, ciliate, inner ones broadly linear or lanceolate-linear, some with long spinous awn from back of apex, setose on back
  • Receptacle flat, honeycombed, epaleate
  • Florets (ligules) bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow, strap-shaped, tube linear, shorter than lamina, sparsely pilose above; lamina broadly linear, truncate, 4- or 5-toothed
  • Anthers linear, sagittate; with oblong appendage
  • Style linear, terete above, pubescent on terete portion; branches linear, obtuse, glabrous
  • Cypselas ellipsoid-fusiform or terete, sometimes attenuate apically, ribbed, transversely rugose, glabrous
  • Pappus of plumose bristles, rarely reduced to short scales or a corona in outer florets
  • x = 4, 5 (polyploidy, B-chromosomes - 1 report)

Nomenclature:

  • *Picris L.
    • Linnaeus: 792 (1753)
    • Linnaeus: 347 (1754)
    • Oliver & Hiern: 447 (1877)
    • Phillips: 853 (1951)
    • Henderson & Anderson: 384 (1966)
    • Hilliard: 604 (1977)
    • Bremer: 199 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 45, Europe, Mediterranean region, Asia, mountains of Africa
  • Southern Africa : * Picris echioides L. is a widespread weed whereas * P. hierachioides L. is known only from KwaZulu-Natal

References:

  • BREMER, K. 1994. Asteraceae , cladistics & classification . Timber Press, Portland, Oregon
  • HENDERSON, M. & ANDERSON, J.G. 1966. Common weeds in South Africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 37
  • HILLIARD, O.M. 1977. Compositae in Natal . University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg
  • LINNAEUS, C. VON. 1753. Species plantarum . Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • LINNAEUS, C. VON. 1754. Genera plantarum , edn 5. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • OLIVER, D & HIERN, W.P. 1877. Compositae . Flora of tropical Africa 3
  • PHILLIPS, E.P. 1951. The genera of South African flowering plants, edn 2. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 25