Lasianthaea

• Authority

  Becker, Kenneth M. 1979. A monograph of the genus Lasianthaea (Asteraceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 31 (2): 1-64.

• Family

  Asteraceae

• Scientific Name

  Lasianthaea

• Description

  Species Description - Trees, shrubs, or half-shrubs, sometimes woody near base only; or tuberous- rooted perennial herbs from a woody caudex, 0.1-7 m high. Leaves usually all opposite, occasionally becoming alternate in inflorescence; petiole flattened; blade unlobed, margin coarsely serrate to denticulate-mucronulate, usually triplinerved, occasionally trinerved or subpenninerved. Inflorescence of 3-12- or more-headed cymose umbelliform clusters, or reduced to a sohtary head, axillary and/or terminal. Heads radiate, rays fertile. Involucre turbinate to hemispherical, in 2-several series, these subequal to strongly graduated. Outer phyllaries usually indurate-membranous below, often herbaceous above, margin usually ciliate, inner phyllaries membranous, sometimes herbaceous above. Rays 4-30, commonly 8-21, yellow, orange-yellow, orange-red, or purple-red, lamina elliptic to oblong, tube short. Disc florets 8-200, yellow, orange-yellow, or purple-red, tube cyhndro-campanulate, throat narrowly campanulate to campanulate, glabrous, lobes 5, deltoid-ovate, papillose within, glabrous or sparsely hispidulous dorsally, mature corollas often exserted several mm from ripe heads. Anther thecae light brown to blackish, appendages triangular-ovate, pale yellow to colorless, base short-auriculate. Style branches filiform-subulate, appendages hispidulous dorsally. Pales membranous, conduplicate, acute to obtuse. Disc achenes compressed, biconvex, body cuneate to broadly cuneate, with 2 (rarely 3) stout awns at apex, these directly confluent with achenial margins, adaxial margin narrowed to a thin sharp edge, pappus of several free or connate membranous squamellae usually adnate to base of awns, sometimes reduced to a ciliate fringe. Ray achenes similar to disc but shorter and broader, compressed or thickened, triquetrous (rarely 4-angled), usually broadly cuneate, 3 (rarely 4) awned or toothed, axial awn or tooth longest. Receptacle low-convex to flat.

• Discussion

  Telesia Raf., Fl. Tellur. pt. 2: 41. 1836.