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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Asteraceae
Gnephosis

Citation: Cass., Bull. Soc. Philom. 1820:43 (1820).

Derivation: No satisfactory derivation of the name has been found.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Annual herbs, more or less glabrous to conspicuously hairy; leaves alternate, sessile, entire.

Inflorescence a compound head of c. 10-300 capitula; general involucre inconspicuous or up to about the length of the compound head; general receptacle entire or branched; capitular bracts 2- or 3-seriate, hyaline but usually with a prominent opaque midrib, the upper part of the lamina sometimes constricted and coloured differently from the lower part; florets 1 or 2 per capitulum, tubular, bisexual, 5-merous; style branches truncate, with short sweeping hairs; stamens 5; anthers tailed and each with a terminal appendage.

achenes obovoid, glabrous or papillose or enveloped in long hairs; pappus absent, cup-shaped or of bristles.

Distribution:  About 17 species, endemic to Australia.

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: Gnephosis, as defined by Bentham, (1867) Fl. Aust. 3:569, is clearly an unnatural group and a number of segregate genera should be recognised (Short, unpubl.). Gnephosis sensu stricto consists of G. tenuissima Cass. (=Chrysocoryne pusilla (Benth.) Endl.) and other species referred to the genus Chrysocoryne Endl. See p. 1507, footnote.

Key to Species:
1. Pappus absent; achenes enveloped in long hairs
G. eriocarpa 3.
1. Pappus present; achenes smooth or papillose
 
2. Pappus of barbellate bristles
G. burkittii 2.
2. Pappus cup-like
 
3. Florets 1 per capitulum
G. skirrophora 4.
3. Florets 2 per capitulum
G. arachnoidea 1.

Author: Prepared by P.S. Short


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