Emilia Cass.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves entire, toothed or lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Capitula usually corymbose, discoid or sometimes radiate; phyllaries uniseriate; calyculus absent; receptacle without paleae

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets orange, red, pink, purple, yellow or white; disk florets tubular-campanulate, 5-lobed; style branches truncate to obtuse, sometimes with appendages of fused papillae

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes oblong, mostly ribbed; pappus of many slender barbellate bristles.

Distribution

Some 110-120 species in tropical Africa and Asia, some widely distributed as weeds.

Note

E. somalensis (S. Moore) C. Jeffrey and E. javanica (Burm. f.) C.B. Rob. were stated to occur in Somalia by, respectively, Jeffrey in Kew Bull. 41: 912 (1986), and Cuf. Enum.: 1160 (1967). As the records have not been substantiated they are omitted here.

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple, sometimes rosulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula often corymbose, sometimes solitary, discoid or radiate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucre without calyculus, phyllaries free or connate at base; receptacle epaleate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets of various colours; anthers obtuse or slightly sagittate at base, appendaged at apex; style branches truncate to obtuse, sometimes with appendages of fused papillae

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes with pappus of many fine bristles.

Tadesse, M., & Beentje, H. (2004). A Synopsis and New Species of Emilia (Compositae-Senecioneae) in Northeast Tropical Africa. Kew Bulletin, 59(3), 469-482. doi:10.2307/4110954

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple to pinnatifid; lower leaves often different in shape from the upper cauline leaves

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula usually in corymbose cymes, discoid or radiate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucre ecalyculate, cylindric to campanulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle

Receptacle epaleate, convex or flat

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries

Phyllaries uniseriate, connate, spreading to reflexed after achenes have fallen

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tubular, glabrous, 5-lobed; anthers ecalcarate, collar slightly wider near the junction with filament; style bifurcate, branches truncate to obtuse, sometimes with appendages of fused papillae

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes oblong to oblong-elliptic, often slightly curved, columnar, 5-ribbed; pappus 1-seriate, of numerous slender white barbellate bristles.

Distribution

A genus of about 100 species (Bremer 1994) found in tropical Africa and Asia. Some species are weedy; others such as E. sonchifolia and E. coccinea, which were initially widely cultivated as ornamental or garden plants, are presumed to have hybridised with other species in East and Central Africa (Jeffrey 1986; Lisowski 1991).

Note

The names Emilia coccinea and E. sonchifolia have both been applied to material from NE Africa. This was due to misinterpretation of these taxa. Jeffrey (1986: 914; 1997: 209), who has done much to clear up the confusion in Emilia, recorded E. coccinea (Sims) G. Don from Sudan but we have not seen any specimens.