Source:
SSA
Description:
Annual, biennial or perennial, acaulescent or caulescent herbs with milky latex. Leaves alternate or radical; cauline leaves often auriculate-amplexicaul, entire, coarsely toothed or pinnatifid, glabrous. Capitula ligulate, solitary to corymbose or panicled. Involucres cylindric; bracts in several rows, elongating in fruiting stage. Receptacle flat, epaleate, alveolate. Florets ligulate,bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow, whitish purple or blue, strap-shaped, tube cylindric, with tuft of hairs below lamina; lamina shortly 3-5-lobed. Anthers linear, sagittate at base, auricles acute or shortly setaceous-acuminate; with lanceolate apical appendage. Style linear, sometimes terete above, pubescent on upper portion; branches linear, subobtuse, sweeping hairs long. Cypselas flattened, elliptic-oblong to obovate, ribbed, glabrous or scabrid-hispid, generally with distinct slender to filiform beak. Pappus of many fine, smooth or scabrid bristles. x = 9 (6, 8, 17) (polyploidy, B-chromosomes).
Distribution:
Species +/- 100, cosmopolitan, especially in north temperate regions; 5 in sthn Afr., widespread.
Classification:
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