Criscianthus M.A.Grossi & J.N.Nakaj., 2013

Grossi, Mariana A., Katinas, Liliana & Nakajima, Jimi N., 2013, Criscianthus, a new genus of Eupatorieae (Asteraceae) with a key to members of the tribe in Africa, Phytotaxa 141 (1), pp. 25-39 : 33

Criscianthus M.A.Grossi & J.N.Nakaj. , gen. nov. Type species: — Criscianthus zambiensis (R.M.King &

H.Rob.) M.A.Grossi & J.N.Nakaj.

Planta suffrutescens, radice tuberosa, caule terete, glabro vel puberulo. Folia ternata , superne alternata raro opposita, margine serrata vel laciniato-lobata, trinervata. Synflorescentiae laxe corymbosae. Capitula homogama, discoidea; receptaculum epaleatum, glabratum. Involucri squamae 2–3-seriatae, apice caudatae. Flosculi 4–5, hermaphroditi; corollae infundibulares, quinquelobatae. Cypselae obconicae, glanduliferae et setiferae, setis polycellulis immixtis; carpopodium obsoletum. Pappi setiformes, setis valde scabris, cellulis apicalibus rotundatis. Genus characteribus stylorum antherarumque familiae Compositarum, tribui Eupatoriearum congruens.

Subshrub with xylopodium. Stem erect, moderately branched, terete, striate, glabrous to pubescent. Leaves verticillate, the upper ones sometimes alternate or opposite, sessile, blade membranaceous to subcoriaceus, lanceolate to elliptic, base cuneate, apex acute, margins serrate to laciniate-lobate, glabrous or subglabrous; venation triveined, veins more or less marked, reticulate. Heads homogamous, grouped into a lax corymbose inflorescence, pedunculate. Involucre cylindric-campanulate, 2(–3)-seriate; phyllaries ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, glabrous or pubescent, caudate at the apex. Receptacle planate, glabrous, naked. Florets 4–5, bisexual, corollas white to white-greenish, tubular-funnelform, with a narrow tube and a widened limb, limb 5-lobed, pubescent, with glandular hairs, lobes papillose, without stomata. Anthers with the base rounded, anther collar oblong, anther appendages well developed, deltoid, acute at the apex. Style base not enlarged, covered with long papillae, branches linear, with papillose, sterile apical appendages, stigmatic areas in two widely separated marginal lines at the base of each style branch. Cypsela prismatic, 5-ribbed, rarely 8-ribbed, pubescent, with many glandular hairs and few atypical twin hairs, carpopodium distinct. Pappus white or pale yellow, uniseriate, of scabrous, capillary, persistent bristles, with slender tips, apical cells rounded. Pollen grains spheroidal, tricolporate, echinate.

Etymology:—The generic name honors Jorge Víctor Crisci (born 1945), recognized botanist from Argentina who made important contributions to the systematics and biogeography of the plant family Asteraceae ; and its second part comes from the Greek anthos = flower.