248. Symphyllocarpus Maximowicz, Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg Divers Savans. 9: 151. 1859.
含苞草属 han bao cao shu
Authors: Yousheng Chen & Arne A. Anderberg
Capitula 3-4.5(-6) mm in diam., heterogamous, globose, sessile, compactly congested in 2s-4s in bifurcations of stem and its branches. Involucre distichous; phyllaries of various forms, lanceolate, oval, rhomboidal, or obovate, membranous, margin transparent, with fine denticles, apex acute. Receptacle flat with paleae. External florets multiseriate, female, carpogenous, tubular; corolla filiform, irregular, sometimes subregular, tridentate, more rarely bidentate, sometimes 4-dentate; ovary adnate to neighboring palea of receptacle almost to half of its length, without pappus, stigma bipartite; marginal female florets minutely radiate with tridentate or bidentate corolla. Central florets 6-20, bisexual, carpogenous, tubular; corolla campanulate, regular, 4-dentate; anthers with very short entire appendages at base; ovary oblong, adnate to 2 neighboring membranes or to 1 membrane of receptacle, more rarely not adnate. Achenes finely terete, smooth, with fine orbicular glands and sparse long glandular hairs, forked at ends. Pappus absent.
One species: China, Russia.
GENERA INCERTAE SEDIS
Symphyllocarpus has been associated with the Inuleae in the older literature, but it is unlikely to be a member of that tribe and is currently of unknown placement (Jeffrey in Kadereit & C. Jeffrey, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 8: 574. 2007).
