Herbs, undershrubs or shrubs, annual or perennial, usually aromatic; stems
simple or branched, erect, sometimes procumbent, climbing or prostrate,
glabrate or variously pubescent. Leaves alternate, simple, linear-lanceolate,
oblong, ovate, obovate or oblanceolate, base decurrent, semi-amplexicaul or
tapering, entire or pinnately or lyrately lobed, the apex usually apiculate,
sometimes acute, the margins, serrate, dentate or denticulate, both surfaces
generally pubescent, sessile or subsessile. Heads heterogamous, disciform,
solitary axillary or terminal, arrangoo in lax to compact panicles or glomerulate,
few or many, sessile or pedunculate. Involucral bracts multi-seriate; outer ones
usually linear, sometimes oblong to ovate, herbaceous, smaller; the inner linear
or linear oblong, hairy or pubescent on the dorsal surface, with scarious
margins. Receptacles naked or epaleaceous, flat, convex or rarely slightly
concave, areolate or alveolate, glabrous or pilose or densely pubescent. Florets
numerous, multiseriate; the central ones usually bisexual, rarely neutral; the
marginal ones female. Corolla of central florets mostly yellow, sometimes
pinkish, or purple; tubular, 5-lobed; lobes angular, papillate, glabrous or pubescent on lobes, rarely on tubes; corolla of female florets usually filiform,
slender, 2-4 lobed, generally glabrous, sometimes pubescent. Anthers tailed.
Achenes brown, oblong, angular or ribbed, glabrous or pubescent. Pappus
white, yellowish or red, uniseriate, with numerous, slender, barbell ate hairs.
Tropical and subtropical regions of S.E .
Asia, Africa and Australia; ca 50
species, 29 in India.
Literature.
DAKSHINI. K.M.M. & PRITHIPAL SINGH (1977). Numerical Taxonomy of
the Genus Blumea in India. Phytomorph. 27: 247-260. K.M.M. DAKSHINI (1977).
Chemotaxonomic studies on the genus Blumea DC. (Asteraceae-Inuleae) in India. Acta. Bot. Ind.
5(2): 143-159.3. RANDERIA, A.I. (1960). The composite genus Blumea, a taxonomic revision.
Blumea 10: 176-317.
