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

Asteraceae - Heliantheae - *Sphagneticola O.Hoffm.

Description :

  • Perennial herbs with stems erect to prostrate, often rooting at nodes
  • Leaves opposite or uppermost occasionally alternate, elliptic or oblong-obovate to obovate, entire, weakly lobed or 3-lobed, sometimes serrate-dentate
  • Capitula radiate, terminal or axillary, solitary, on long peduncles
  • Involucre campanulate; bracts in 2 or 3 rows, outer herbaceous, inner scarious
  • Receptacle flat to convex, scaly
  • Ray florets female, fertile; corolla yellow to orange-yellow
  • Disc florets bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow to orange-yellow
  • Cypselas irregularly warted, minutely puberulous in upper part, with short early-caducous aristae
  • Pappus cup-shaped and of 1 or 2 awns, or 0

Nomenclature:

  • *Sphagneticola O.Hoffm.
    • Hoffmann: 36 (1900)
    • Karis & Ryding: 599 (1994)
    • Pruski: 411 (1996)
  • Thelechitonia Cuatrec.
    • Cuatrecasas: 242 (1954).
  • Complya Strother
    • Strother: 10 (1991)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 4, tropical America
  • Southern Africa : * Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski, often cultivated as ground cover, is now spreading into the natural vegetation in KwaZulu-Natal

References:

  • CUATRECASAS, J. 1954. Thelechitonia . Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France 101
  • HOFFMANN, K.A.O. 1900. Sphagneticola . Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin-Dahlem 3
  • KARIS, P.O. & RYDING, O. 1994. Tribes Helenieae and Heliantheae . In K. Bremer, Asteraceae , cladistics and classification . Timber Press, Portland, Oregon
  • PRUSKI, J.F. 1996. Compositae of the Guayana Highland-XI. Tuberculocarpus gen. nov. and some other Ecliptinae ( Heliantheae ). Novon 6
  • STROTHER, J.L. 1991. Taxonomy of Complaya , Elaphandra , Iogeton , Jefea , Wamalchitamia , Wedelia , Zexmenia and Zyzyxia ( Compositae - Heliantheae - Ecliptinae ). Systematic Botany , Monograph 33