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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Asteraceae
Chondropyxis

Citation: D. Cooke, gen.nov.

Derivation: Greek chondros, cartilage; pyxis, box; referring to the fruiting capitulum which consists of persistent cartilaginous scales holding the achenes on the receptacle.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Glabrous semisucculent annual herb; stem erect, terete; leaves cauline, subopposite, sessile.

Capitula terminal, sessile, often overtopped by 2 branches arising immediately below, discoid, heterogamous; involucres hemispherical, 2-seriate; bracts scarious with green midribs, equal; receptacle flat; outer florets 3-5-seriate, female, the outermost subtended by involucral bracts, the others clasped by thickened cartilaginous receptacular scales; corollas filiform, most with a vestigial ligule concealed by the bract or scale; style branches linear-subulate, glabrous.

Achenes compressed-terete, villous with apically 2-barbed hairs; pappus shorter than the corolla, of a few free plumose bristles; inner florets bisexual, sterile, tubular, 4- or 5-merous, without receptacular scales; corolla narrowly campanulate; anthers obtuse at the base, with flat lanceolate apical appendages; style branches lanceolate-subulate, papillose outside; achenes abortive, linear with a dilated apex, glabrous; pappus subequal to the corolla, of plumose bristles dilated and connate at the base, uniseriate, unequal.

Biology: Related to Elachanthus and other endemic Australian genera forming a group which has traditionally been treated as Anthemideae but is probably closest to the Astereae. Type: C. halophila D. Cooke.

Taxonomic notes: Monotypic. Herba annua subsucculenta glabra; caulis erectus teres. Folia caulina subopposita sessilia. Capitula sessilia terminalia, inferiora ramis duobus proxime sub capitulo exorientibus superata, discoidea heterogama. Involucrum hemisphaericum; bracteae biseriatae aequales scariosae costis herbaceis. Receptaculum planum. Flosculi externi feminei, 3-5-seriati, extimi bracteis involucralibus subtenti, ceteri squamis receptacularibus incrassatis cartilagineis amplexi; corolla filiformis, plerumque ligula vestigiali bractea vel squama occulta; rami styli lineari-subulati glabri; ovarium ellipsoideum villosum achaenium compresso-teres villosum pilis apice biglochidiatis; pappus corolla brevior, setis liberis plumosis paucis. Flosculi interni bisexuales steriles tubulares 4- vel 5-meri, sine squamis receptacularibus; corolla anguste campanulata; antherae basi obtusae, appendicibus apicalibus lanceolatis planis; rami styli lanceolatosubulati extrinsecus papillosi; achaenium abortivum linearium apice dilatatum glabrum; pappus coroilam subaequans, setis plumosis basi dilatatis el connatis uniseriatis inaequalibus.

Author: Not yet available


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