Piptocarpha opaca (Benth.) Baker
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Authority
Smith, Gerald L. & Coile, Nancy C. 2007.
(Compositae: Vernonieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 99: 1--94. (Published by NYBG Press) -
Family
Asteraceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Robust scandent shrubs, branches long, pendulous, lateral branchlets shorter, numerous, cinereous-tomentulose-lepidote. Leaves not crowded along the branches; petioles 10-20 mm long; blades (5-)9-13 x (2-)3.5-5(-6) cm, coriaceous, shape variable, elliptic, or ovate to lanceolate, acuminate at apex, oblique at base, margin slightly revolute and remotely toothed, glabrous above, cinereous-stellate-tomentose, gland-dotted below, 6-8 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescences axillary, hemispheric to rounded clusters of 6-15 heads. Heads with (6-)9-12 florets, subsessile; involucres turbinate to campanulate, (7-)8-9(-10) mm long, 3-5 mm wide; phyllaries imbricate in 5-7 series, uniformly brown (when dried), tomentulose and acute at tip, margin ciliate to sparsely arachnoid, outer ones triangular to elliptic, inner ones narrowly elliptic or lanceolate to linear. Corollas cream-colored, glabrate, tube 4-5 long, lobes 1.5-2.5 mm long; anthers 3-4 mm long, basal auricles sharply caudate, 0.8-1.5 mm long. Pappus white to straw-colored, weakly biseriate, inner bristles filiform, 5-6 mm long, outer bristles irregular, inconspicuous, less than 1 mm long. Achenes 2.5-3 mm long, cylindrical to 3-angled, 10-costate.