468 ^ FLORA OF MANILA 



stems. Heads 12 to 14 mm long, long-peduncled, the flowering branches 

 usually dichotomously brartched. Involucre green, tylindric, 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. pi. 282.) 



Occasional in open grass lands, waste places, etc., fl. Oct.-Apr.; widely 

 distributed in the Philippines, and undoubtedly introduced. 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, sui-rounded by an involucre 

 of usually 3 leaf-like bracts. 



2. Leaves forming a basal rosette; flowers purple 1. E, acaher 



2. Leaves scattered along the stem; flowers white 2. E. moUia 



1. Clusters of heads spicately arranged, not involucrate 3< E. spicahis 



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 oblongs 

 oblanceplate, somewhat crenate, obtuse or subacute, base narrowed, 10 to 

 26 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 1.6 cm 

 long, cordate at the base. Heads many in each cluster, crowded, each head 

 about 4-floweired, 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 3, 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 Orieiil, other than Guam. 



