Elephantopus
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Asteraceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
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Genus Description - Perennial rhizomatous herbs; stems erect, few-branched, pilose. Leaves cauline (in ours) or basal, alternate, sessile, clasping the stem, pinnately veined. Inflorescence of terminal corymbiform panicles, the heads glomerate, the glomerules dense, cupular, subtended by 2 or 3 leafy bracts. Heads discoid, 4-flowered; involucre cylindrical; involucral bracts 8, in 4 decussate pairs in 2 series, glandular, the outer four shorter than the inner four, the apices attenuate; receptacle naked. Rowers bisexual; corollas somewhat zygomorphic, irregularly 5-lobed, with a much deeper cut on the inner side; anthers white; styles hispidulous in upper half. Achenes obconic, 10- ribbed, hispidulous on veins; pappus of 5 straight subequal bristles that are commonly broadened at the base.
Distribution and Ecology - A genus of 25-29 species, primarily N e w World (principally tropical), also Africa, Asia, Fiji, and Australia.