Cacalia L.

Herbs, perennial; stems flexuous, grooved, pubescent. Leaves alternate, deltoid or palmately lobed, auriculate or exauriculate at the base, petioled. Inflorescence a simple yellowish brown raceme or panicle. Capitula white, pink or yellow, discoid, cylindrical, bracteolate, short peduncled. Involucre cylindrical; involucral bracts 5 - 30, uniseriate, linear to linear-lanceolate. Receptacle flat, epaleaceous. Florets 1 - 20, hermaphrodite, fertile, all tubular; corolla 5-lobed. Style branches long, subclavate. Achenes cylindrical, ribbed, glabrous. Pappus of white or reddish brown, scabrid hairs.

Asia, N. America, C. America, W. Indies; ca 50 species, 5 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Leaves deltoid

2

b. Leaves palmately lobed

3

2a. Petioles auricled

1. Cacalia chenopodifolia

b. Petioles not auricled

3. Cacalia levingii

3a. Pappus hairs white

5. Cacalia pentaloba

b. Pappus hairs reddish

4

4a. Achenes 8 mm long

4. Cacalia mortonii

b. Achenes 2 mm long

2. Cacalia chola

List of Lower Taxa