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

Asteraceae - Lactuceae - *Taraxacum F.H.Wigg.

Description :

  • Perennial herbs, acaulescent, scapigerous, with milky latex, with simple or branched taproots
  • Leaves rosulate, entire, sinuate, mostly runcinate-dentate to pinnatifid-pinnatisect
  • Scapes 1-many, simple, hollow
  • Capitula ligulate, solitary, terminal
  • Involucre campanulate or oblong; bracts in 2 rows, inner row erect, outer row shorter and spreading or recurved
  • Receptacle flat, epaleate, pitted
  • Florets bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow, rarely white, strap-shaped
  • Anthers sagittate at base; auricles shortly setaceous-acuminate
  • Style with branches long, slender; sweeping hairs long
  • Cypselas obovoid-fusiform, ribbed apically scabrid to transversely muricate, with distinct, long, slender beak
  • Pappus of many, long, unequal, scabrid-barbellate bristles
  • x = 6, 8 (4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 17) (aneuploids, high polyploidy, B-chromosomes)

Nomenclature:

  • *Taraxacum F.H.Wigg.
    • Wiggers: 56 (1780)
    • Harvey: 526 (1865)
    • Hilliard: 608 (1977)
    • Pope: 212 (1992)
    • Bremer: 182 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 60, north temperate regions and temperate South America
  • Southern Africa : Species 15, not known from Namibia and Botswana

References:

  • BREMER, K. 1994. Asteraceae , cladistics & 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
  • POPE, G.V. 1992. 97. Compositae . Flora zambesiaca 6,1
  • WIGGERS, F.H. 1780. Primitiae florae holsaticae . Bartsch, Kiel