Verbesina alata L.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Asteraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Verbesina alata L.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Erect or weakly ascending perennial herb to 1 m tall, sparingly branched; stems winged, puberulent. Leaves sessile or more commonly abruptly narrowed into a subpetiolar base to 3 cm long; blades 3-14 x 1.5-7 cm, lanceolate to ovate, chartaceous, eglandular, the upper surface subglabrous to weakly strigose, the lower surface strigose to densely so, the margins crenate to irregularly dentate. Inflorescence loose and open, monocephalous or with 2-5 cymosely arranged heads; peduncles to 15 cm long, hispidulous. Heads radiate, ca. 60 or more flowered, globose, to 1.5 x 2 cm; involucre hemispheric, to 5 x 10 mm , weakly 2-3-seriate; involucral bracts subequal, ca. 4-5 x 1 mm , lanceolate to oblanceolate, strigose; receptacle conical, the palea ca. 4.5 X 1 mm, oblanceolate, herbaceous, puberulent at apex. Ray flowers pistillate, ca. 35; corollas orange, to 3 mm long. Disk flowers ca. 60; corollas funnel-shaped, orange, to 2 mm long. Achenes strongly winged, ovate in outline, 3.7-5.5 x 1.2-2 mm, sparsely pubescent over entire surface, the wings 1.2-1.6 mm wide; pappus of 2 unequal, persistent awns, the tips deciduous or uncinate, the smaller awn to 1.8 mm long, the longer to 3.7 mm long.

  • Distribution

    Occasional on open hillsides. American Hill [Raunkiaer s.n., 15 Mar 1906 (US)]. Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Tortola; Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles.

    West Indies| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America|