Volume I (1961) - Flora of New Zealand Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons
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Compositae Giseke

COMPOSITAE

Fls (florets) densely clustered in heads (capitula) on a common receptacle invested by an involucre of imbricating phyllaries in 1 or more series. Florets all similar (head homogamous) or disk-florets and ray-florets dissimilar (head heterogamous). Calyx united to ovary crowned by pappus of hairs or scales or nude. Corolla ligulate or tubular; stamens 5, epicorolline; anthers syngenesious, often appendaged. Ovary inferior, 1-celled; ovule basal, anatropous. Style branched into 2 stigmatic arms. Fr. an achene. A nearly cosmopolitan family with over 900 genera and 14000 spp. Practically all the main growth-forms are represented. Endemic to N.Z. are: Brachyglottis, Haastia, Kirkianella, Leucogenes, Pachystegia, Pleurophyllum, Traversia.

KEY TO TRIBES

Key

1.
Capitula with all florets ligulate, latex present
Capitula with central or all florets tubular, latex absent
2
2.
Pappus 0, or of minute scales, or of stiff barbed bristles
3
Pappus of slender hairs, or if these stiff then not barbed
5
3.
Lvs opp.; tall erect herbs
Lvs alt.; creeping or low-growing herbs
4
4.
Capitula with ray of ligulate florets
Capitula with tubular florets only
5.
Anthers with filiform tails; style-arms obtuse, smooth
Anthers without filiform tails; style-arms acute or truncate, papillose or penicillate at tips
6
6.
Style-arms pointed and papillose at tips
Style-arms truncate at tips, ± penicillate

Tribes 1-5 are often grouped as subfamily TUBULIFLORAE., and 6 as subfamily LIGULIFLORAE.

KEY TO GENERA

Key

1.
Florets all ligulate; plant with copious latex
2
Florets all, or those of disk, tubular; plant without latex
6
2.
Capitula borne on lfy branches
3
Capitula borne on lfless unbranched scapes
4
3.
Papppus of plumose hairs, plant hispid
Pappus of simple hairs, plant not hispid
4.
Pappus-hairs rigid, barbellate
Pappus-hairs capillary, smooth
5
5.
Achene-ribs smooth, not or hardly beaked
Achene-ribs muricate, beak long
6.
Plant a herb or subshrub woody at base only
7
Plant a woody shrub, tree or liane
40
7.
Capitula with distinct ray of ligulate florets
8
Capitula without distinct ray of ligulate florets; innermost phyll. may simulate ray-florets
16
8.
Ray-florets not white
9
Ray-florets white
12
9.
Ray-florets purplish
Ray-florets yellow
10
10.
Pappus of slender hairs; ray-florets with long ligules
Pappus 0 or of 4 rigid bristles; ray-florets with very short ligules
11
11.
Pappus of 2-4 rigid barbed bristles
Pappus absent
12.
Pappus 0 or of minute scales
13
Pappus of slender hairs
14
13.
Achenes not beaked; pappus of short scales or 0; phyll. Oblong
Achenes with short ± viscid beak; pappus 0; phyll. narrow-linear
14.
Capitula numerous
Capitula solitary
15
15.
Capitula terminal on bracted scapes
Capitula terminal on lfy branches
16.
Pappus absent or obsolete
17
Pappus of distinct slender hairs
23
17
Capitula sessile
18
Capitula pedunculate
19
18
Lvs toothed, capitula lateral
Lvs entire, capitula terminal
19
Lvs opp., petiolate
20
Lvs alt. or basal, sheathing at base
21
20
Pappus of 4 rigid barbed bristles
Pappus absent
21
Lvs toothed to dissected
Lvs entire
22
22
Phyllaries broad
Phyllaries linear
23
Capitula solitary
24
Capitula aggregated or in corymbs
32
24
Capitula sessile or subsessile
25
Capitula distinctly pedunculate
30
25
Plants forming very dense cushions or mats, branchlets compacted together with only tips free
26
Plants not forming very dense cushions, though sts loose patches with branchlets much freer
27
26
Anther-cells produced into filiform tails; lvs < 1 cm
Anther-cells not produced into filiform tails; lvs c. 1 cm
27
Pappus-hairs in several series
Pappus-hairs in one series
28
28
♀ few or 0
♀ many
29
29
Anther-cells tailed; if-tomentum very smoothly appressed
Anther-cells not tailed; if-tomentum ± woolly
30
Florets yellow, anther-cells not tailed
Florets not yellow, anther-cells distinctly tailed
31
31
Lvs radical
Lvs distributed along stems
32
Lvs in basal rosettes
33
Lvs distributed along branches
35
33
Capitula in racemes, florets dark purple
Capitula forming a globose compound infl.; florets pink, yellow or white
34
34
Florets mostly pistillate, perfect florets fewer
Florets all perfect
35
Florets yellow, phyll. not scarious on margins, anther-cells not tailed
36
Florets white, phyll, scarious on margins, sts with white or hyaline tips, anther-cells with filiform tails
37
36
Involucre narrow-cylindric; ♀ filliform, more numerous than the perfect florets
Involucre campanulate; ♀ ligulate, fewer than perfect florets or absent
37
Capitula congested into a glomerule subtended by broad white woolly subfloral lvs
Capitula in fascicles or corymbs, or if in a glomerule then subtended by lflike bracts
38
38
♀ many, perfect florets fewer
♀ few to 0, perfect florets many
39
39
Plants parts, except stems and branches in old age, completely clad in white tomentum; achenes fusiform
Plant parts not completely clad in tomentum; achenes not fusiform
40
Capitula with distinct ray of ligulate florets
41
Capitula rayless; inner phyll, may have raylike tips
50
41
Capitula solitary
42
Capitula not solitary
47
42
Rays yellow
Rays not yellow
43
43
Lvs opp.or in opp. fascicles
Lvs alt. or in alt. fascicles
44
44
Plant prostrate or low-growing, lvs imbricate, wood soft
Plant erect or spreading, lvs not imbricate, wood hard
45
45
Peduncles very stout, tomentose; phyll. in ∞ series, forming a large globose to cylindric involucre
Peduncles and phyll. not as above
46
46
Style-arms of perfect florets flattened, with triangular tips
Style- arms of perfect florets not flattened, with truncate or penicillate tips
47
Ray-florets yellow
Ray-florets not yellow
48
48
Plant with broad, sinuate or shallowly dentate lvs; capitula small, in large panicles; rays inconspicuous
Plant without all the above characters in combination
49
49
Style-arms of perfect florets flattened, with triangular tips
Style-arms of perfect florets not flattened, with truncate or penicillate tips
50
Lvs opp. or in opp. fascicles
Lvs alt., sts imbricate
51
51
Anther-cells with slender tails; phyll. thin, scarious, glab. or nearly so, inner series with white or hyaline tips
52
Anther-cells not tailed; phyll. not as above
53
52
Receptacle without scales
Receptacle with chaffy white-tipped scales between the florets
53
Infl. a large panicle of small capitula; ♀ shortly ligulate
Infl. not a panicle; ♀ filiform or 0
54
54
Young branchlets, lvs and phyll. very glutinous
Young branchlets etc. not at all glutinous
55
55
Style-arms of perfect florets triangular at tips
Style-arms of perfect florets truncate or penicillate at tips
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