Calea cardonae Maguire & Wurdack

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett, et al. 1953. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (2): 87-160.

  • Family

    Asteraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Calea cardonae Maguire & Wurdack

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Frutex 3 m. altus; ramulis teretibus in sicco pluriangulatulis glabris castaneis; foliis oppositis oblanceolatis, laminis (3) 4-7 cm. longis 1.5-2.5 cm. latis glabris subchartaceis, nervis 2-jugis, lateralibus inferioribus prominentibus superioribus prominulis, venulis reticulatis valde et conspicue lucidis subtus, marginibus creno-dentatis ad basim integris, apice subacuto, basi acuta, petiolo 3-5 mm. longo; inflorescentiis terminalibus umbellatis, 2-6 capitulatis pedunculis 1-4 cm. longis glabris sulcatis; capitulis campanulatis vel hemisphaericis ca. 8 mm. longis 1 cm. latis; receptaculo conico ca. 1.5 mm. alto hirsutulo, paleis 10-12 naviculoideis 7 mm. longis acutis ca. 0.7 mm. latis, bracteis involucri exterioribus 4 foliaceis oblpngis ca. 10 mm. longis ca. 3-5 mm. latis, phyllaribus 2-3-seriatis ca. 10, exterioribus ca. 7 mm. longis ca. 3 mm. latis oblongolanceolatis obtusis concavis enervis scario-marginatis ciliatis, interioribus oblanceolatis 6-7 mm. longis ca. 1.5 mm. latis; floribus ligulatis ca. 5-6, ligulis oblongo-ellipticis ca. 5 mm. longis 2-3 mm. latis, floribus discoideis 20-25 ca. 4 mm. longis, tubo 1.5 mm. longo, lobis ca, 1 mm. longis acutis; ramulis stylorum ca. 0.7 mm. longis, stigmatibus subcapitatis; pappo squamiformi paleis 2-seriatis ca. 15, ca. 3 mm. longis 0.3-0.5 mm. latis scariosis acutis; achaeniis ca. 3 mm. longis acute 4-angulatis.

  • Discussion

    TYPE: arbusto 3 m. alto, flores amarillas Acopan-tepui, 2100 m. alt., Guayana, Venezuela, Octubre 1947, F. Cardona 2274; U. S. National Herbarium.

    Calea cardonae is well set off from its tepuian relatives by the arrangement of the small heads, proportionately long subtending foliar involucral bracts, and short ray ligules. Vegetatively it is most similar to C. lucidivenia, but the leaves of the latter are much smaller.