A flora of Manila - Rainforestation

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A FLORA OF MANILA
stems. Heads 12 to 14 mm long, long-peduncled, the flowering branches
usually dichotomously branched. Involucre green, cylindric, somewhat inflated
below, the bracts green, about as long as the purple flowers. Achenes
about 2.4 mm long, narrowly oblong, ribbed, the pappus white, soft,
copious. (Fl. Filip. pi 282.)
Occasional in open grass lands, waste places, etc., fl. Oct.-Apr. ; widely
distributed in the Philippines, and undoubtedly introduced. Tropical Asia,
Africa, and Malaya, apparently an introduced plant in tropical America.
5. ELEPHANTOPUS Linnaeus
Stiff, erect, simple or branched herbs. Leaves alternate. Heads fewflowered,
homogamous, solitary or clustered in involucrate fascicles at the
ends of the branches or in pairs and spicately arranged. Involucral-bracts
about 8, dry, stiff, alternately flat and conduplicate; receptacle naked.
Flowers all equally 4-lobed, cleft on one side, the lobes somewhat spreading.
Achenes truncate, ribbed; pappus-bristles rigid, shining, slender and dilated
below, or chaff-like. (Greek "elephant" and "foot" suggested by
the form of the involucrate heads of some species.)
Species about 12 in tropical America, 3 introduced in the Philippines.
1. Clusters of heads at the ends of the branches, surrounded by an involucre
of usually 3 leaf-like bracts.
2. Leaves forming a basal rosette; flowers purple 1. E. scaber
2. Leaves scattered along the stem; flowers white 2. E. mollis
1. Clusters of heads spicately arranged, not involucrate 3. E. spicatas
1. E. SCABER L.
A rather coarse, rigid, erect herb 30 to 60 cm high, more or less scabrid
and villous. Leaves mostly in a basal rosette, oblong-obovate to oblong-
oblanceolate, somewhat crenate, obtuse or subacute, base narrowed, 10 to
25 cm long, those of the stem few, much smaller. Stems forked, the
branches few, stiff. Heads in clusters at the ends of the branches enclosed
by usually 3 leaf-like bracts, which are ovate to oblong-ovate, 1 to 1.5 cm
long, cordate at the base. Heads many in each cluster, crowded, each head
about 4-flowered, the involucral-bracts 8 to 10 mm long. Corollas 8 to 9
mm long, purple. Achenes ribbed, the pappus of 4 to 6, long, rigid bristles.
In open grass lands, waste places, etc., fl. Dec-April; widely distributed
in the Philippines. Tropics generally, but undoubtedly a native of tropical
America.
2. E. MOLLIS HBK.
A tall, erect, more or less hirsute herb 0.8 to 1.2 m high, not branched
except the inflorescence. Leaves scattered along the stem, not basal, oblong
to oblong-elliptic, acute, base narrowed and decurrent, crenate, 8 to 20 cm
long. Branches of the inflorescence few, usually forked, subtended by
much-reduced leaves. Clusters of heads terminating the branches surrounded
by about 3, ovate, cordate, 1 to 1.5 cm long, leaf-like bracts. Heads
4-fiowered, numerous in each cluster, the involucral-bracts lanceolate, acuminate,
about 7 mm long, green. Corollas white, 5 to 6 mm long. Pappus
of 4 or 5 long, bristle-like hairs.
In thickets etc., Masambong, fl. Dec-April; widely distributed in the
Philippines. A native of tropical America, now thoroughly naturalized
here; not reported from any other part of the Orient, other than Guam.