Sphaeranthus angustifolius DC.

Global description

Sphaeranthus angustifolius is a suffrutescent plant with stem branched from the base, 30 to 60 cm tall. The branches are erect and have on the entire length serrated wings decurrency of leaf blades, entirely covered with simple whitish hairs mixed with small sessile glands. The leaves are simple, sessile, with oblong serrated blade, sharp, small, about 1.5 cm long. The inflorescence is an ovoid capitulum, terminal, purplish-red in color, 7 to 10 mm in diameter, short peduncle.
 
General habit

Sphaeranthus angustifolius is a suffrutescent plant, annual to perennial with short life, 30 to 60 cm tall, erect stems branched from the base. The branches, have over their entire length by decurrency serrated wings of the leaf blades.
 
Underground system

Taproot.
 
Stem
 
The stems and branches, reaching 30 to 60 cm tall, having wings with large times, spaced by decurrency leaves along their whole length. They are fully covered with simple whitish hairs mixed with small sessile glands.
 
Leaf

The leaves are simple, sessile, alternate, with oblong blade, about 1.5 cm long and 0.4 cm wide in its free part; the base of the blade is long decurrent and extends into two wings along the branches. The apex is rounded or wide area ended with a sharp point. The margin is wavy and provided with strong teeth. Both sides of the blade are covered with whitish hairs interspersed with small sessile glands.
 
Inflorescence
 
The flowers are gathered in globose to ovoid capitulum, 7 to 10 mm in diameter, solitary, terminal, red-purple color, a flat-discoid receptacle, short peduncle, winged or not.  Each capitulum is an assembly of capitulum with a few florets. The general involucre is very apparent and formed of upright-applied bracts lanceolate, ciliated, dorsal rib very strong and prominent, mitigated by short acumen spinescent. The involucre of elementary capitulum is formed of a small number of keeled bracts, obtuse or acute at the apex finely ruffled the external spinescent lower the top.
 
Flower
 
The elementary capitulums include approximately 4 female florets with narrowly tubular structured corolla and 2 or 3 finely serrated at the top, surrounding a hermaphrodite floret with regular corolla and the tube thickened with 4-5 tines at the top. The anthers are more or less lengthily arrowhead, almost obtuse or acute. The style of the  hermaphrodite florets is undivided or with spindly branches.
 
Fruit
 
The fruit is a linear oblong achene, slightly compressed with a few hairs.

Worldwide distribution

Sphaeranthus angustifolius is present in West and Central Africa, and Madagascar.

https://www.gbif.org/fr/species/7592377