Perennial herb 5–10(–18) dm. tall, simple or branched, slender, rhizomatous and sometimes stoloniferous, often rooting at the nodes; stems herbaceous, usually clambering or erect, 1.5–5.0 mm. thick, generally leafless below and branched at the nodes above (first branches supported by leaves at the nodes); nodes solid.. Leaves membranous, mostly cauline, imparipinnate, rhombic, largest at the base but decreasing in size and bract-like towards the inflorescence or undivided and ovate, glabrous to rather pilose; rhachis and the terminal leaflet of the undivided leaves 4.4–16.5 cm. long; apices and margins of the undivided leaves and the leaflets are characterized by glandular structures; terminal leaflet 1.8–6.5 cm. long, 0.6–3.4 cm. wide; lateral leaflets in 1–4 pairs, smaller than the terminal; undivided leaves ovate, 3–4 cm. long; petiole 0.5–4.8 cm. long.. Inflorescence a dichasial thyrse 10–50 cm. long, 4–20 cm. wide; internodes glabrous or pilose; nodes tufted-pilose; floral bracts broadly lanceolate to ovate, 2.0–8.5 mm. long, 0.5–3.5 mm. wide.. Flowers perfect (or ? occasionally imperfect), white to pale pink.. Calyx-limb 8–13-fid, forming a feathery pappus in fruit.. Corolla infundibuliform, gibbous, sometimes irregular, 1.5–3.0 mm. long; lobes one-third to one-half the tube-length; throat glabrous within.. Stamens 3, included; anthers 4-lobed.. Style barely 3-lobed and included, or distinctly 3-lobed and slightly exserted.. Achenes elliptic to oval-patelliform, 2.5– 4.5 mm. long, 1.5–3.0 mm. wide, glabrous throughout (in specimens from Kilimanjaro and Ruwenzori) or pubescent on the adaxial face (in most specimens from Elgon), fairly dark-brown.. Fig. 2.
Home