Pseudelephantopus spicatus (Juss. ex Aubl.) C.F. Baker, Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 12: 45, 55 & 56. 1902.

Bunwong, Sukhonthip, Chantaranothai, Pranom & Keeley, Sterling C., 2014, Revisions and key to the Vernonieae (Compositae) of Thailand, PhytoKeys 37, pp. 25-101 : 86

Pseudelephantopus spicatus (Juss. ex Aubl.) C.F. Baker, Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 12: 45, 55 & 56. 1902.

Pseudelephantopus spicatus (Juss. ex Aubl.) Rohr, Skrifl. Nat. Selsk. Kiobenh. 2: 216. 1792.

Elephantopus spicatus Juss. ex Aublet, Hist. Pl. Guiane 2: 808. 1775.

Type.

not ascertained. Figs 8E-F .

Description.

Perennial herbs, 10-40 cm tall. Stems erect, inconspicuously ribbed, puberulous. Leaves simple, rosulate or alternate at base, 5-15 by 1.5-5 cm, obovate or oblanceolate, margin slightly serrate to entire, apex obtuse or rounded, base cuneate or attenuate, subcoriaceous; upper surface puberulous without glands, lower surface puberulous with filiform hairs and capitate glands; lateral veins 9-15-paired; petioles up to 2 cm long. Capitulescences terminal and axillary, capitula 1-4 aggregated in clusters supported by foliaceous bracts, clusters arranged in a spike. Capitula tubular, 14-17 mm long. Receptacle flat, 1-1.5 mm in diam., glabrous. Florets bisexual and fertile. Involucres oblong, in 2 series, 10-11 mm long. Phyllaries 8, decussate, light green, margin entire or piliferous, outer surface pilose without glands; the outer lanceolate, apicies acute; the inner ones obovate-lanceolate or oblong, apices acute. Florets 4; corollas salverform, white, zygomorphic, glabrous; corolla tubes 5-9 mm long; corolla lobes 2.5-2.8 mm long. Anthers 1.5-2 mm long, apical appendage acute, base acute. Styles white, 5-9 mm long, branches ca. 2 mm long, inner surface covered with stigmatic papillae. Achenes clavate, 4-5 mm long, pubescent with densely twin hairs, without glands, 10-ribbed. Pappus in 1 series, often of 2 sizes and bent at the tip, bristles 6-9, 2-6 mm long.

Distribution.

Thailand: Chiang Rai, Nakhon Phanom, Ubon Ratchathani. Tropics.

Specimens examined.

Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani, Chong Mek border crossing, 15°8.02'N, 105°28.01'E, 27 Oct 2007, S. Bunwong 342 (KKU); Chiang Rai, Muang District, 20 Nov 2007, S. Bunwong 352 (KKU, US); Nakhon Phanom, Ban Phang, 24 Feb 2003, Th. Wongprasert et al. 032-17 (BKF).

Diagnostic characters.

Pseudelephantopus spicatus is distinguished from Elephantopus by having spicate capitulescences and contorted pappus.

Ecology.

Open areas in dipterocarp forest or river bank, alt. 100-400 m; flowering October to December.

Vernacular name.

Doo La Doo (โด่ลาโด่), Ton Tai Din (ต้นใต้ดิน).

Figures

Figure 8. Morphology of Vernonieae in Thailand 4. A Elephantopus mollis B-C Elephantopus scaber D Elephantopus scaber var. penicillatus E-F Pseudelephantopus spicatus.