Adenostemma lavenia (L.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 1: 304. 1891. Verbesina lavenia L., Sp. Pl. 902. 1753.

Herbs, annual or perennial; stems decumbent-ascending, often rooting at nodes, glabrous below, pubescent in the upper part. Leaves variously shaped, acute or obtuse, entire or serrate, up to 25 x 14 cm, faintly to prominently veined, petiolate or sessile. Heads corymbose. Involucral bracts sub 2-seriate, free or sometimes connate at base, glabrous or hairy on back, ciliate on margins. Achenes smooth, muricale or tuberculate. Pappus hairs 4 - 5, ending in a knob.

Very variable species. Following varietles are recognised from India (Panigrahi 1975).

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

1a. Achenes smooth

2

b. Achenes lightly or densely muricate or tuberculate

3

2a. Leaves prominently reticulate beneath; involucral bracts hairy on back

1.7. reticulatum

b. Leaves not prominently reticulate beneath; involucral bracts smooth on back

1.5. madurense

3a. Achenes only lightly muricate

1.1. angustifolium

b. Achenes densely muricate or tuberculate

4

4a. Leave. alternate, upper sessile; involucral bracts not ciliate on the margins

1.2. elatum

b. Leaves usually opposite, petioled; involucral bracts ciliate on margins

5

5a. Leaves lanceolate, oblong-obovate or elliptic-ovate

6

b. Leaves broadly ovate or rhombic-parabolic

7

6a. Leaves lanceolate, oblong-ovate, acute; corolla 3 mm long; limb densely hairy

1.4. lavenia

b. Leaves elliptic-ovate, obtuse; corolla ca 1.8 mm long; limb smooth

1.6. microcephalum

7a. Leaves broadly ovate, herbaceous; achenes more densely muricate in the upper half than in the lower

1.3. latifolium

b. Leaves rhombic parabolic, coriaceous; achenes densely muricate throughout

1.8. rugosum

List of Lower Taxa