Phytologia (Aug 2004) 86(2) 77 



Strother, J. 1999. Wedelia, in Flora Chiapas 5: 149-151. 



Turner, B. L. 1988. New species, names and combinations in Wedelia 



(Asteraceae). Phytologia 65 : 348-357. 

 . 1992a. New Species of Wedelia (Asteraceae, Heliantheae) 



from Mexico and critical assessment of previously described taxa. 



Phytologia 72: 115-126. 

 . 1992b. New names and combinations in New World Wedelia 



(Asteraceae, Heliantheae). Phytologia 72: 389-395. 



A large complex genus of perhaps 200 or more species, widely 

 distributed throughout the tropical world, but largely centered in 

 South America. It is closely related to Zexmenia but the latter can be 

 distinguished by its thin-winged, flatter, disk achenes which mostly 

 possess rather persistent awns at maturity, these usually broadened at the 

 base and arising from the corner of the achenes (as opposed to a cup-like 

 boss at the apices). I follow McVaugh (1984) and Turner (1988, 1992a,b) 

 in treating Aspilia within the broad fabric of Wedelia. Strother (1991) 

 revised Wedelia for North America; in this he excluded W. trilobata, 

 placing it in a newly erected genus, Complaya (=Sphagneticola, 

 if accepted, the earliest name; cf. Pruski 1996), which is largely 

 distinguished by its style branches and indistinct carpopodium, among 

 other characters. Since the phyletic position of W. trilobata is moot, 

 I have retained this in Wedelia, pending further elucidation. Robinson 

 (1992: Phytologia 72: 144) recently agreed that Aspilia is synonymous 

 with Wedelia, although his earlier work (1984) suggested otherwise. 



KEY TO SPECIES 



1 . Ray florets without style branches (neuter), or rays absent (2) 



1 . Ray florets with style branches (pistillate and fertile) (16) 



2. Ray florets present (4) 



2. Ray florets absent (3) 



3. Leaves markedly lacerate; vestiture of stem softly 

 hirsute; Mic W. keilii 



