Two New Species of Conyza (Compositae) from Ethiopia

Abstract

A herb with leafy stems, the vegetative parts (when dry) tawny-green and shortly scabrid-pubescent throughout. Inflorescence of terminal and axillary cymose panicles of 5-15 capitula, the capitula fairly loosely arranged on pubescent peduncles bearing hairs up to 1-5 mm long. Involucre hemispherical, composed of several rows of phyllaries. Outer phyllaries elliptic, obtuse to acute, nearly entirely herbaceous, brownish-green, with about 6 longitudinal resinous vein-like lines in addition to the only slightly more prominent midrib, the central part of the phyllary with a few scattered sessile glands and a dense pubescence of white hairs 1 mm long. Inner phyllaries narrowly oblong, acute, hyaline with a central brown herbaceous stripe. Receptacle barely fimbrillate. Female florets very many, filiform, 3-1 mm long, of which 1 mm is a pale yellow bifid ligule shorter than the yellow style, the top of the corolla tube with a fringe of multicellular hairs. Achenes of female flowers fertile, obovoid, compressed, 2-ribbed, pilose. Hermaphrodite flowers c. 20, 4 mm long, with a short basal tube 1-5 mm long and a wider portion 2-5 mm long, at the apex with 5 lobes, the tube and lobes bearing both multicellular hairs and sessile glands. Achenes of hermaphrodite flowers apparently fertile, larger than those of the female flowers, often 4-ribbed, pilose. Pappus of about 25 hairs in 1 row, including about 5 very short bristles.