| Synonyms: | |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Local |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
An erect suffrutex to c. 60 cm tall, from a woody rootstock with numerous spreading, thong-like roots. Stems annual, 1-several, simple or branching above, leafy to the apex with leaves diminishing in size and number below, somewhat stem-sheathing on the lower stem, araneose-lanate sometimes becoming coarsely pilose-pubescent; the indumentum of fine matted-appressed whitish hairs sometimes intermixed with few to numerous large brownish patent hairs. Leaves discolorous, sessile, mostly 5–14 x 0.5–25 cm, linear-elliptic to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, attenuate acute to the apex, the lower part cuneate tapering to a semi-amplexicaul base, margins slightly revolute subentire; upper surface dark-green and sparsely araneose-lanate with appressed fine white hairs or sometimes these intermixed with stiff patent hairs and the indumentum scabridulous-araneose; lower surface densely greyish, sometimes brownish, araneose-lanate. Capitula 1–5, solitary and terminal on the stem and short apical branches, subtending leaf-like bracts wanting or small and ± equalling the capitula in length. Involucres mostly 11–15 x 10–20 mm, increasing to c. 25 mm wide when mature, becoming broadly campanulate and truncate at the base, araneose-lanate. Outer phyllaries 5–11 mm long, ovate or linear-lanceolate, acute or with a caudate appendage-like apical portion elongating to c. 20 mm long, fimbriate-denticulate on the margins especially in the upper part; inner phyllaries up to c. 16 mm long, tapering lorate, grading into the receptacular paleae, margins membranous often purplish and fimbriate-denticulate about the apex, the apex sometimes expanded and appendage-like. Ray-florets absent. Disk-floret corollas creamy-white, mostly c. 11 mm long, narrowly tubular below and abruptly dilated into a subcylindric-campanulate, deeply lobed limb c. 5 mm long, lobes c. 4 mm long, linear. Achenes c. 5 mm long, subcylindric, 5-angled, obscurely ribbed on the angles, minutely puberulous; carpopodium thin; pappus of caducous linear scale-like barbellate setae 6–8 mm long. Erythrocephalum albiflorum is easily confused with the similar E. scabrifolium but differs in the narrowly tapering to narrowly rounded semi-amplexicaul leaf bases; capitula without subtending and overtopping leaves or leaf-like bracts and the upper leaf surface seldom scabrid. |
| Type location: |
Zambia |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | albiflorum: white-flowered. |
| Habitat: | Brachystegia and mixed deciduous woodlands |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | Feb - Mar(-Apr) |
| Worldwide distribution: | Angola, DRC, Zambia and Malawi |
| FZ divisions: | N,W |
| Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Cb,N |
| Growth form(s): | Perennial. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Pope, G.V. (1992). Compositae Flora Zambesiaca 6(1) Page 25. |