Two new genera, Hoffmannanthus and Jeffreycia, mostly from East Africa (Erlangeinae, Vernonieae, Asteraceae).

Harold Robinson,Stirling Keeley,Raymund Chan,John Skvarla

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.39.7624

Abstract

Two genera of Vernonieae subtribe Erlangeinae with Type A pollen, 5-ribbed achenes, and blunt-tipped sweeping hairs on the styles are described as new, Hoffmannanthus with one species and with Vernonia brachycalyx O. Hoffm. as type, and Jeffreycia with five known species, with Vernonia zanzibarensis Less. as type. Vernonia abbotiana O. Hoffm. is neotypified and is an older name for V. brachycalyx.

Highlights

The dismantling of the overly broad concept of Vernonia Schreb. in the Old World was begun by Robinson (1999a)
Orbivestus has the same type of pollen as Hoffmannanthus, but the plant is more herbaceous, has heads in seriate or subscorpioid cymes, has nearly sessile T-shaped hairs on the stems, has strictly subimbricate and otherwise undifferentiated bracts in its involucres, has narrowly rhomboid raphids in the walls of the achenes, and has pointed tips on the sweeping hairs of the style branches
Sequence data is lacking for Jeffreycia, but on the basis of structural evidence, Jeffreycia is considered closer to Hoffmannanthus than Vernoniastrum or Orbivestus

Summary

Introduction

The dismantling of the overly broad concept of Vernonia Schreb. in the Old World was begun by Robinson (1999a). Orbivestus has the same type of pollen as Hoffmannanthus, but the plant is more herbaceous, has heads in seriate or subscorpioid cymes, has nearly sessile T-shaped hairs on the stems, has strictly subimbricate and otherwise undifferentiated bracts in its involucres, has narrowly rhomboid raphids in the walls of the achenes, and has pointed tips on the sweeping hairs of the style branches. The two new genera, Hoffmannanthus and Jeffreycia (Fig. 1), share one feature found in many Old World Vernonieae, namely the sweeping hairs which are restricted to the branches of the style and do not extend onto the upper shaft, a feature otherwise a defining characteristic of the tribe Vernonieae and the subfamily Cichorioideae.

Results

Conclusion