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

Asteraceae - Inuleae - Blumea DC.

Description :

  • Annual or perennial herbs, usually pubescent, aromatic; stems not winged
  • Leaves alternate, simple, dentate or serrate, sessile or shortly petiolate
  • Capitula disciform, in loose or dense corymbs or panicles
  • Involucre campanulate or hemispherical; bracts in few to many rows, narrow, cartilaginous
  • Receptacle flat or slightly convex, epaleate, with scale-like ridges
  • Outer florets female, in several rows, filiform, 2-4-toothed, yellow
  • Central florets bisexual, tubular, widening upwards, with 5 short lobes, yellow, sometimes white or purplish
  • Anthers caudate and minutely calcarate; endothecial tissue polarised
  • Style bifid with acute sweeping hairs, not reaching the furcation
  • Cypselas narrowly oblong, hairy; epidermis with elongated crystals
  • Pappus of barbellate, capillary bristles in 1 row
  • x = 9 (8, 10, 11) (aneuploids, high polyploidy, B-chromosomes)

Nomenclature:

  • Blumea DC.
    • Candolle: 514 (1833) name conserved
    • Harvey: 119 (1865)
    • Randeria: 176 (1960)
    • Merxmüller: 35 (1967)
    • Wild: 125 (1969)
    • Hilliard: 113 (1977)
    • Anderberg: 105 (1991)
    • Anderberg: 284 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 100, tropical Africa to Asia and Australia
  • Southern Africa : Species 1: Blumea mollis (D.Don) Merrill, Namibia, Northern Province, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal

References:

  • ANDERBERG, A.A. 1991. Taxonomy and phylogeny of the tribe Inuleae ( 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
  • CANDOLLE, A.P. DE. 1833. In J.B.A. Guillemin, Archives de Botanique 2
  • HARVEY, W.H. 1865. Compositae . Flora capensis 3
  • HILLIARD, O.M. 1977. Compositae in Natal . University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg
  • MERXMÜLLER, H. 1967. Asteraceae . Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 139
  • RANDERIA, A.J. 1960. The composite genus Blumea , a taxonomic revision. Blumea 10
  • WILD, H. 1969. The Compositae of the Flora zambesiaca area, 2. Inuleae . Kirkia 7