Ajania nubigena (Wall.) C.Shih

Family Description

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, sometimes shrubs, rarely trees, tissues sometimes containing milky sap, glabrous, pubescent, tomentose, spinous or variously sessile- or stipitate-glandular. Leaves alternate or sometimes opposite, exstipulate (but sometimes with stipuliform appendages), entire, toothed, lobed or variously dissected. Individual flowers usually numerous, aggregated and ± sessile (briefly immersed to very shortly stipitate) on a common receptacle and surrunded by an involucre of 1-many series of phyllaries (involucral bracts),the whole comprising a capitulum; phyllaries free, rarely connate; capitula solitary to very many, rarely agreegrated into secondary capitulum-like glomerules.Receptable sometimes bearing paleae (scales), hairs or bristles.Flowers (florets)epigynous, bisexual, female, m ale(at least functionally so) or neuter (sterile). Calyx absent, often replaced on apex of ovary by a pappus of 1 or more series of bristles and / orscales. Corolla gamopetalous, tabular throughout or dilated or 1(-2)-lipped above,variously truncate or 1-5-toothed at apex (appices); rarely corolla absent. Stamens (1-)5, epipetalous, filaments free anthers laterally connate into a cylinder around style (free in one species). Ovary inferior, 1-celled with one basal ovule; style usually divided above into two branches, sometimes entire on male flowers, emerging through anther cylinder, first collecting and exposing pollen,later exposing stigmatic surfaces if bisexual. Fruit an achene (cypsela) usually bearing a persistent or deciduous pappus; pappus sessile or borne on a beak(rostrum).

Genus Description

Tomentose perennials,from usually exposed woody stock;stems erect to decumbent,simple to much branched above.Leaves small,1-3-pinnatisect.Capitula disciform,1-many in terminal usually corymbose inflorescence.Involucre hemispherical;phyllaries c 4-seriate,mostly obtuse and broadly scarious-margined.Receptacle conic.Some marginal flowers female,remaining flowers bisexual.Corollas yellow,sparsely subsessile glandular,obliquely inserted on ovary.Female corollas ± tubular-campanulate,5-toothed;style branches oblong,apex truncate,hairy.Achenes narrowly obovoid,oblique,with myxogenic hairs;pappus absent.

Species description

Erect to decumbent herb,6-40cm,silver (sometimes brownish) grey tomentose;stems simple.Leaves 1-3-pinnatisect,to 3 x 3cm,primary lateral segments 1-3(-4) pairs,sometimes subpalmately arranged;secondary lateral segments 1-3 pairs,ultimate segments (obovate to) oblanceolate to linear,1.5-9mm,1/2-1/12 as wide,subactute to acuminate.Capitula 1-27 in loose to compact terminal corymbs or panicles.Involucre broadly campanulate,4-7mm diameter;phyllaries brown or blackish-margined,sparsely to densely tomentose,outer most linear,inner ones ± oblong,4.2-6.2 x 2-3mm.Corollas 3.2-4.2mm.Achenes 1.5-2mm,