468 A FLORA OF MANILA 
stems. Heads 12 to 14 mm long, long-peduncled, the flowering branches 
usually dichotomously branched. Involucre green, cylindric, somewhat in- 
flated 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. pl. 282.) 
Occasional in open grass lands, waste places, etc., fil. Oct.—Apr.; widely 
distributed in the Philippines, and undoubtedly qntoaeesdl! Tropical Asia, 
Africa, and Malaya, apparently an introduced plant in tropical America. 
5. ELEPHANTOPUS Linnaeus 
Stiff, erect, simple or branched herbs. Leaves alternate. Heads few- 
flowered, 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 di- 
lated 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. EL. scaber 
2. Leaves scattered along the stem; flowers white.................... 2. EB. mollis 
1. Clusters of heads spicately arranged, not involucrate........ 3. E. spicatus 
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 sur- 
rounded by about 8, ovate, cordate, 1 to 1.5 cm long, leaf-like bracts. Heads 
4-flowered, numerous in each cluster, the involucral-bracts lanceolate, acu- 
minate, 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. 
