Montanoa grandiflora Hemsl.
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Authority
Funk, Victoria A. 1982. The systematics of Montanoa (Asteraceae, Heliantheae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 36: 1-133.
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Family
Asteraceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Shrubs 1-4 m tall. Stems terete, gray to brown, herbaceous parts sparsely puberulent. Leaves variable; petioles 2.5-12.5 cm long, broadly winged, sometimes with auricles and occasionally connate-perfoliate, moderately to densely glandular and puberulent; blades ovate-lanceolate to pentagonal (Fig. 69A-E), 523 cm long, 2.5-27.0 cm wide, apex acute to acuminate, margin serrate to irregularly dentate, sometimes 3-5 lobed, adaxial surface moderately pubescent, hairs pustular, abaxial surface sparsely to moderately or occasionally densely glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 1.0 mm long. Peduncle 1.0-4.5 cm long, moderately to densely glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 1.0 mm long. Heads pendulous, 1.5-2.0 cm diam in flower, 3-4 cm diam in fruit, few to several in open cymose synflorescences in oppositely to alternately branched compound corymbs, lateral branches usually not exceeding in length subtending leaves. Phyllaries 7-10, uni- or biseriate, subequal, not reflexed until far into fruit, ovate-lanceolate, 7-10 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, green to brown, apex acute to acuminate, mucronate, margin ciliate, entire, abaxial surface moderately to densely pubescent, hairs less than 1.0 mm long, adaxial surface moderately pubescent on distal half, hairs less than 1.0 mm long. Ray florets 10-12; corollas white, ligules ovate-lanceolate, 20-30 mm long, 7-11 mm wide, apex acute to deeply 2-notched, adaxial surface sparsely glandular, tube 1.0 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, essentially glabrous. Disc florets (Fig. 69F) 65-95; corollas yellow, tube 1.0-1.5 mm long, 0.5-1.0 mm diam, essentially glabrous; stamens with filaments 3.5-4.0 mm long, 0.25 mm wide, anthers fully exserted from corolla, thecae yellow, 2.0-2.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, apical appendages yellow, acute, 0.5-0.6 mm long, 0.25-0.33 mm wide, abaxial surface of apical appendages glandular; styles (Fig. 69F) yellow, 6.5-9.75 mm long, enlarged at base, stigmatic surfaces yellow, 1.0-1.25 mm long, apical appendages yellow, acuminate, 0.5 mm long, 0.3 mm wide. Pales at anthesis more or less obtrullate (Figs. 69G, H), 2-3 mm long, 2.0-2.5 mm wide, light yellow, apex long-acuminate, indurate, margin ciliate, entire, abaxial surface sparsely to moderately glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 1.0 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous; pales at fruiting deciduous, obtrullate (Fig. 691), 17-20 mm long, 5.5-6.5 mm wide, papery with netted venation, stramineous, apex apiculate, indurate, margin subentire, abaxial surface glandular near the center, margins and adaxial surface glabrous. Achenes brown-black, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, smooth. Chromosome number, n = 19. Flowering (and Fruiting) Period: October-November (December-January).
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Discussion
Type: MEXICO, 1831, F. Alamán s.n. (holotype, G-DC, photo IDC 800. 565:111.6!; photos of holotype, F! GH! MO! US[2]!). Eriocoma grandiflora Alamán [in DC., Prodr. 5: 565. 1836, nom. nud. pro syn.] ex Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 1: 336. 1891. Priestleya longifolia Sessé & Mociño ex DC., Prodr. 5: 565. 1836, nom. nud. pro syn. De Candolle’s observation was based on the drawing from Ic. Fl. Mex. 8: 679. (Original at G; photo, F!) This lovely plant is common along the roadsides from the Morelia area to the México state border, but scattered elsewhere. It is a plant of somewhat dry habitats with the principal leaves large and lobed halfway to the midrib or less, and a wing to the base of the petiole (Fig. 69A-E). The synflorescence of this species has 3-5 heads on short petioles aggregated in corymbiform to paniculiform cymes and these are often arranged in a panicle. There are many such panicles per plant and the flowering display is very appealing. Montanoa grandiflora is most often confused with M. speciosa, from which it can be separated by the following characters. Montanoa grandiflora has 7-10 involucral bracts that reflex early in flower and coriaceous leaves, whereas M. speciosa has 9-16 bracts that do not reflex until far into fruit; M. speciosa has light green densely puberulent principal leaves that are lobed almost all the way to the midrib; and M. grandiflora has 65-95 disc florets, whereas M. speciosa has 140-160. These two species are both found near Morelia, Michoacán, and there are several specimens that are difficult to place in either species. However, they have not been reported growing sympatrically. Both species are cultivated and their cultivated forms are discussed under M. speciosa.
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Distribution
Distribution and Habitat: Sierra Madre del Sur in Michoacán, Guanajuanto, and Méxcio (Fig. 70); cool pine forests on steep mountain slopes and in drier pine-oak forests along roadsides; 750-2500 m but usually over 2000 m.
Mexico North America|