Eriocephalus merxmuelleri M.A.N.Müll.

Species

Angiosperms > Asterales > Asteraceae > Eriocephalus

Characteristics

Erect, many-stemmed, much-branched shrubs, 0.4-1.2 m high, 0.3-0.6 m in diameter. Old stems grey-black, displaying anomalous secondary growth; young shoots yellow to yellow-brown; older branches yellow-grey to grey; branches opposite; brachyblasts short-lived. Leaves decussate, sometimes alternate on flowering shoots, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, obtuse triangular, those on young shoots 4-9(-14) x 0.5 mm, those on brachyblasts 1-4 x 0.5 mm, entire, very rarely pinnatisect, 3-lobed, green-grey, indumentum of leaves on growing point felty sericeous, mature leaves appressed sericeous to glabrescent(not glabrous), adaxially more strongly concave from apex to base, abaxially convex to slightly keeled towards apex, base semi-amplexicaul. Capitula heterogamous disciform, mostly racemose or paniculate, rarely solitary on brachyblasts, 3.5-5.0 mm long; peduncles (1-)2-7(-12) mm long, sparsely felty sericeous, glabrescent. Involucral bracts 4(5), ovate, 3.2-4.8(-8.0) x 2.2-4.8(-5.5) mm, 2 slightly keeled, other 2 laterally flattened, central part thickened, herbaceous with membranous margin, green to red-purple, sparsely sericeous, glabrescent. Paleae: those of marginal florets free, slightly keeled, broadly lanceolate, 3.4-5.0 x 2.1-3.0 mm, central part hard, coriaceous with membranous, fringed margin, abaxially long-lanate, hairs septate, enveloping female florets; those of disc florets narrowly lanceolate to almost linear, 2.0-3.5 x 0.6-1.0 mm, membranous, margins fringed, abaxially long-lanate. Marginal female florets (1)2-4, 2.5 mm long; corolla cream-coloured; lamina short, 0.3-0.6 mm long, sometimes shorter than but mostly longer than style furcation, but shorter than style branches, cuneate to oblong, 3-lobed. Style branches 0.3-1.5 mm. Ovary (and cypsela) oblong, slightly flattened, 1.5-2.5 mm long, long-lanate. Seed oblong-ovoid, laterally flattened, 1.5-2.0 mm long. Disc florets (1-)5 or 6(-9), functionally male with sterile ovary; corolla tubular, widening upwards, basally cream-coloured to yellow, limb red-purple, 2.5-3.5 mm long. Style unbranched, apex slightly globose with sweeping hairs. Stamens 5. Receptacle after anthesis densely white long-pilose between involucral bracts and marginal paleae. Flowering time: December to April and from June to September in the different rainfall areas.
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Shrub, 0.4-1.2 m high, much branched, branches opposite, not spinescent. Leaves decussate, sometimes alternate on flowering shoots; blade linear to very narrowly obovate, margins entire, rarely pinnatisect, 3-lobed, young leaves felty sericeous, mature leaves appressed sericeous, glabrescent. Heads disciform, racemose or paniculate, rarely solitary, shortly pedunculate. Involucral bracts 4(5), ovate, green to red-purple, sparsely sericeous, glabrescent. Receptacle with paleae of marginal florets free. Flowers: marginal female florets (1)2-4, blade very short, cream-coloured; disc florets (1-)5 or 6(-9), corolla tubular, widening upwards, basally cream-coloured to yellow, upper part red-purple; Jul. Fruit with cypsela oblong, flattened, long hairy. Pappus absent.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.4 - 1.2
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 5-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Eriocephalus merxmuelleri world distribution map, present in Namibia and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:20000638-1
WFO ID wfo-0000091480
COL ID 3B3JB
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Eriocephalus merxmuelleri