Vernonia gerberiformis Oliv. & Hiern
subsp. macrocyanus (O.Hoffm.) C.Jeffrey

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (5)

Vernonia gerberiformis subsp. macrocyanus

Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr., North-Western Prov.

Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Linzia gerberiformis (Oliv. & Hiern) H.Rob. subsp. macrocyanus (O.Hoffm.) Isawumi
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	A tufted perennial herb, 4–45 cm. tall from a stout vertical rootstock; scapose with a rosette of basal leaves, or stems scapiform; scapes or stems 1-several, simple or 1–2-branched from near the base, striately ribbed, bracteate, ± densely whitish pubescent or woolly, especially below the capitulum and near the base, to glabrescent, or glabrous, brownish lanate at the rootcrown; leaves numerous, basal, or clustered on lower stem, sessile, often appearing after the capitula, eventually up to c. 15(36) x 5(12) cm., oblanceolate to ± spathulate, linear-oblanceolate, or elliptic-obovate, obtuse to rounded at apex or tapering acute, tapering-attenuate from about the middle to a ± clasping base, margins serrulate-denticulate to subentire, membranous or thinly coriaceous, occasionally glaucous, thinly villous at first, soon puberulous to glabrescent, or sometimes hispid and scabridulous, or glabrous, midrib prominent beneath; capitula solitary, terminal; involucre 12–25(30) x 15–45(50) mm., broadly obconic-campanulate, later widely spreading; phyllaries many-seriate, often purple-tinged towards the apex, coriaceous, finely woolly and soon puberulous to hispidulous, or glabrescent and glandular outside, the margins pectinate-denticulate or stiffly ciliate; corollas cornflower-blue to mauve in upper portion, 15–30 mm. long, narrowly tubular in the lower two-thirds widening to a campanulate limb with lobes 4–6 mm. long; achenes up to c. 11 mm. long, subcylindric, tapering slightly to the base, c. 10-ribbed, densely hispid to sparsely hispidulous. Subsp. macrocyanus is distinguished in being more robust with flowers and leaves appearing together with scapiform stems; glabrous to glabrescent leaves usually more than 40 mm wide; involucres 30-40 mm wide and phyllaries mostly 4 mm or more wide.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	gerberiformis: like Gerbera, another genus in the Asteraceae family. macrocyanus: from the Greek ‘macro’ for large and ‘cyanus’ for blue, referring to the large blue flowering capitula.
Habitat:
Flowering time:	Jun - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, DRC, Burundi, Tanzania and Zambia.
Botswana distribution:
Growth form(s):	Perennial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 58. Pope, G.V. (1992). Compositae Flora Zambesiaca 6(1) Pages 93 - 94. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 39.

Other sources of information about Vernonia gerberiformis subsp. macrocyanus:

Our websites:

Flora of Zambia: Vernonia gerberiformis subsp. macrocyanus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Vernonia gerberiformis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Vernonia gerberiformis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Vernonia gerberiformis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Vernonia gerberiformis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Vernonia gerberiformis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Vernonia gerberiformis
JSTOR Plant Science: Vernonia gerberiformis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Vernonia gerberiformis
Plants of the World Online: Vernonia gerberiformis
Tropicos: Vernonia gerberiformis
Wikipedia: Vernonia gerberiformis