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

Asteraceae - Tarchonantheae - Brachylaena R.Br.

Description :

  • Shrubs or trees, dioecious, rarely florets bisexual
  • Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate or subsessile, entire or spinulose-denticulate or repand or coarsely dentate towards apex, glabrous above and often pale tomentose beneath
  • Synflorescences arranged in clusters or glomerules; capitula pedunculate or sessile, unisexual, discoid; flowers yellow
  • Involucre oblong, ovoid or campanulate; bracts in 3 to many rows, imbricate
  • Receptacle flat or slightly convex, honeycombed, epaleate
  • Male capitula with corolla tubular below, expanded above, usually 5(6)-lobed
  • Anthers calcarate and caudate; apical appendage long, flat; endothecial tissue polarised
  • Style terete, filiform, thickened above, simple or bifid; ovary abortive
  • Pappus of scabrid or subplumose bristles in 1 row, sometimes sparingly developed
  • Female capitula with corolla filiform, 5-lobed; staminodes sometimes present
  • Style branches short, flat, ovate-lanceolate
  • Cypselas subcylindric-fusiform, ± 8-ribbed, pubescent or subglabrous
  • Pappus of scabrid bristles in several rows

Nomenclature:

  • Brachylaena R.Br.
    • Brown: 115 (1817)
    • Harvey: 115 (1865)
    • Phillips & Schweickerdt: 205 (1937)
    • Paiva: 368 (1972)
    • Hilliard: 105 (1977)
    • Pope: 5 (1992)
    • Bremer: 97 (1994)
    • Herman: 42 (1998)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 15, Africa and Mascarene islands
  • Southern Africa : Species 9, widespread but absent from Namibia, Free State and Northern Cape

References:

  • BREMER, K. 1994. Asteraceae , cladistics & classification . Timber Press, Portland, Oregon
  • BROWN, R. 1817. 11. Some observations on the natural family of plants called Compositae . The Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 12
  • HARVEY, W.H. 1865. Compositae . Flora capensis 3
  • HERMAN, P.P.J. 1998. Asteraceae . A note on the Brachylaena discolor complex. Bothalia 28,1
  • HILLIARD, O.M. 1977. Compositae in Natal . University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg
  • PAIVA, J.A.R. 1972. New and little known species from the Flora zambesiaca area. 22. Notes on Inuleae . Boletim da Sociedade Broteriana 46 sér. 2
  • PHILLIPS, E.P. & SCHWEICKERDT, H.G. 1937. A revision of the South African species of Brachylaena R.Br. Bothalia 3
  • POPE, G.V. 1992. 97. Compositae . Flora zambesiaca 6,1