Vellereophyton Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
Annual or perennial herbs. Lvs alternate, simple, entire. Capitula few to numerous in corymbose clusters. Involucral bracts in 3-5 rows, imbricate, membranous; innermost bracts with stereome fenestrated in upper 1/2and concave around outer florets at base, and with white radiating lamina. Florets all ⚥ and tubular, or few to many outer florets ♀ and narrow-tubular. Achenes all similar, smooth; pappus hairs in 1 row, subplumose in upper part, denticulate toward base.
5-6 spp., South Africa. Naturalised sp. 1.
The sole naturalised member of this genus was placed by Drury (1970, op. cit.) with the anaphalioid cudweeds, but Hilliard and Burtt (op. cit.) erected Vellereophyton for this small group of spp. which are distinguished from similar gnaphaliums by the fenestrated stereome with a concave base, and details of the pappus.
