Rhaponticoides africana (Lam.) M.V.Agab. & Greuter / Homotypic Synonyms: Centaurea africana Lam, it is a perennial with a thick root-stock covered with remains of petiole bases. Stems up to 50-150 cm, erect simple or sparingly branched above, pubescent hairy below, above distinctly furrowed, with ridges ± glabrous and furrows with whitish furfuracens. Leaves mostly in the lower half of the plant. Basal leaves up to 230 x 70 mm, 1 (-2) pinnatifid to pinnatisect, obovate in outline; lateral pinnules up to 45 -20 mm, size of the pinnules decreasing towards the base, broadly obovate, serrate toothed, obtuse; terminal lobe largest, deeply 3-fid. Upper cauline leaves sessile, up to 100 x 30 mm, oblong-ovate; pinnule up to 25 x 2.5 (-3) mm, linear-lanceolate, acute, minutely serrate to entire. Pedicels up to 30 cm long, more or less naked or with 1-2 small, entire, sessile, linear-lanceolate leaves. Involucre ovoid-globose, 20-25 mm in diam. Outer most involucral bracts 3-5, 2.5 x 2 mm, rhomboid-ovate, coriaceous, with 2-4 dark coloured nerves, obtuse, with a very narrow scarious margins. Involucral bracts of the 2nd row 4 x 5 mm, rhomboid, coriaceous with 4-5 dark coloured nerves, broadly obtuse, with narrowly scarious, hyaline margins and apices. Involucral bracts of the 3rd row 5 x 5 mm, similar to the preceding ones., membrane near the apices c. 0.25 mm wide. Involucral bracts of the 4th row 7 x 5.5 mm, somewhat incurved, broadly oblong, coriaceous, with 5 dark coloured nerves from the middle towards the apex, brownish towards the apices broadly obtuse, margins and apices with scarious hyaline margins; membrane near the apex c, 0.75 mm wide. Involucral bracts of the 5th row 10 x7 mm, oblong, coriaceous weakly incurved, with 6, dark coloured, conspicuous nerves, upper half obtuse, margins and apices with hyaline, entire or slightly undulated, c. 1 mm wide membrane. Involucral bracts of the 6th row 12 x 7 mm, oblong, coriaceous, 7-nerved (nerves dark and conspicuous) in the upper half, obtuse, margins and apices with hyaline, entire, c.1 mm wide membrane. Involucral bracts of the 7th row 15-16 x 6-6.5 mm, oblong, similar to the preceding in texture, nervation and margin. Involucral bract of the 8th row 17-18 x 6-6.5 mm, oblong, similar in texture, nervation and margin to the preceding but apices rather wider, irregularly lacerated when dry. Inner most involucral bracts 17-18 x 2.5-3 mm, linear or linear-lanceolate, with margins and apices broadly scarious, hyaline. Florets yellow. Cypsela 6 x 3.5 mm, somewhat tetragonous, umbonate, glabrous; hilum sub-basal, narrowly elliptic-ovoid, without any callose margin; pappus 8-9 mm long; setae scabrid at least near their apices; inner most row of 7-8, erect, scale. c. 1̸4 as long as the longest setae, except one scale with long, dark coloured acumine; acumine as long as the longest setae.
Leave a Reply