Nothovernonia H.Rob & V.A.Funk, 2011

Robinson, Harold & Funk, Vicki A., 2011, A new genus, Nothovernonia, from tropical Africa (Asteraceae or Compositae, Vernonieae), PhytoKeys 3, pp. 21-34 : 25-26

Nothovernonia H.Rob & V.A.Funk gen. nov.

Latin

Ad Vernonella in habitis herbaceis et floribus purpureis simila sed capitulis base bracteoliferis in lobis corollarum distaliter spiculiferis et in grana pollinis sublophatis totaliter tricolporatis differt. A Centrapalus in basis erectis et bracteis involcri apiculatis lateraliter scariosis differt.

Type.

Vernonia purpurea Sch.Bip. ex Walp.

Description.

Coarse branching herbs to 0.7 m tall, stems erect from base, distinctly ribbed, pilose with spreading simple hairs. Leaves alternate with petioles 0.2-2.0 mm long; leaf blades oblong to lanceolate, sparsely pilose above with prominent persistent bases on the hairs, lower surface coarsely and densely pilose on major veins, surface with many glandular dots, secondary veins pinnate, ca. 6 pairs. Inflorescences terminal and from axils of reduced upper leaves, distinctly cymiform with distinct short to long peduncles; heads broadly campanulate, with minute to large foliose bracts at base; involucral bracts in ca. 5 series, strongly gradate, appressed, ovate to narrowly oblong, with dark median stripe, apex apiculate with distinct dark or rarely pale awn, with pale scarious lateral margins, outer surface with numerous arachnoid hairs from median band, spreading tranversely as the head expands; receptacles flat, without pales or hairs. Florets ca. 30-65 per head; corollas purple, with lobes and upper throat exceeding the pappus at anthesis, glanduliferous on throat, lobes spiculiferous with stout straight hairs distally on outer surface; anther thecae with small sterile border at base, endothecial cells oblong with sinuous lateral walls, apical appendage triangular, firm. Style base with annuliform sclerified node, distally with stout spreading sweeping hairs covering backs of style branches and upper 1 mm of style shaft. Achenes prismatic, 8-10-ribbed, with numerous idioblasts on surface, with small narrow raphids, setulae with pairs of cells fused together beyond basal 1/3; pappus with inner series of many crowded capillary bristles, white or rufous, less than 2/3 as long as corollas; outer pappus series of shorter, crowded lanceolate scales.

Pollen grains ca. 40 mm in diam., tricolporate with colpi reaching poles, spinose, surface sublophate with perforated tectum continuous between colpi, bacculae single under each spine.

Chromosome number n = 9 ( Jones 1979a, as Vernonia purpurea Sch.Bip. ex Walp.).

Etymology.

The new generic name, Nothovernonia , means "false Vernonia ".