Description:

• Erect or decumbent glabrous shrublets
• Leaves alternate or opposite, filiform-linear or oblanceolate, entire or lobed, terete or flattened, somewhat fleshy
• Capitula radiate, solitary, terminal, pedunculate
• Involucre broadly campanulate-hemispherical; involucral bracts imbricate, broad, ovate-oblong-obovate with very obtuse or rounded tips, herbaceous, with membranous margins
• Receptacle convex, epaleate
• Ray florets female, fertile, usually ± 8, sometimes up to 13, white, often becoming pink-reddish and revolute; tube somewhat compressed, glandular, lamina with smooth surface, apically 3-toothed or subentire
• Style branches oblong, truncate or somewhat emarginate
• Disc florets regular, yellow; tube broadly cylindrical, glandular, limb campanulate, 5-lobed
• Anthers ecalcarate and ecaudate; apical appendage ± ovate, obtuse; endothecial tissue polarised; filament collar subcylindrical with subequal cells
• Style branches oblong, truncate; style base partly immersed in broad and distinct nectary
• Cypselas dorsiventrally strongly compressed, laterally winged, white, adaxial side smooth; abaxial side with longitudinal myxogenic striae apically ending in fringe of fused projections; lateral wings scarious, white, opaque
• Pappus of 3 adaxial, white, scarious scales
• x = 9 (1 report)

Nomenclature:

• Leucoptera B.Nord.
  • Nordenstam: 140 (1976)
  • Bremer & Humphries: 157 (1993)
  • Bremer: 475 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 3, endemic, Northern Cape (Namaqualand) and Western Cape