Pleurospermum in Flora of Pakistan @ efloras.org

Pleurospermum Hoffm., Gen. Umb. 1: 29. 1814. C.B. Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2:702. 1879; Hiroe, Umb. Asia 1: 117 1958.

Perennial. Leaves 1-4-pinnate. Involucre of divided or entire white margin¬ed bracts. Rays few to many. Involucel of many lanceolate, oval or oblong white margined bractlets, entire or divided. Calyx teeth evident or obsolete. Petals white or light rose coloured. Fruit ellipsoid to oblong, winged; fruit wall usually spongy, papillate or smooth; ridges winged; furrows 1-3-vittate; commissure 2-6-vittate. Inner seed face concave to grooved.

A European, Central Asiatic and Himalayan genus with 30 species. It is well represented in the Himalayas. The plants can be recognized by their broad, white margined bracts and bractlets.

1 Bractlets pinnately divided (2)

+ Bractlets lobed at the apex or entire (3)

2 (1) Rays 15-25. Bractlets large, leaf-like, 1-2 cm long. Plants 15-30 cm tall Pleurospermum govanianum

+ Rays 5-10. Bractlets smaller, up to 1 cm long. Plants 5-15 cm tall Pleurospermum stellatum var. lindleyanum

3 (1) Leaves 2-4-Pinnate. Fruit furrows 1-(2)- vittate (4)

+ Leaves 1-pinnate. Fruit furrows 2-3- vittate Pleurospermum candollei

4 (3) Leaves 3-4-pinnate; leaf segments linear Pleurospermum brunonis

+ Leaves 2-3-pinnate; leaf segments oval to ovate (5)

5 (4) Rays 3-8. Calyx teeth evident. Plants up to 60 cm tall (6)

+ Rays 10-30. Calyx teeth obsolete. Plants 30 to 150 cm tall Pleurospermum stylosum

6 (5) Petals white. Bracts oblong, c. 6 mm broad Pleurospermum corydalifolium

+ Petals white to rose coloured. Bracts lanceolate, 2 mm broad Pleurospermum hookeri var. thomsonii

Lower Taxa

Related Synonym(s):

Related Objects

Flora of China

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