Compilation
Aspilia congoensis

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Name

Identification
Aspilia congoensis S.Moore [family ASTERACEAE ] (stored under name);
Related name
  • Aspilia africana
  • Aspilia congoensis

Flora

Entry for Aspilia africana (Pers.) C.D.Adams [family COMPOSITAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, Part Part 3, page 547, (2005) Author: H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind
Names
Aspilia africana (Pers.) C.D.Adams [family COMPOSITAE], in Webbia 12: 236 (1956) & in F.W.T.A. ed. 2, 2: 238 (1963); F.P.U.: 171, fig. 109 (1962); Wild in Kirkia 5: 218 (1965); Maquet in Fl. Rwanda 3: 624, fig. 192/3 (1985). Type: Nigeria, Warri [Oware], Beauvois s.n. (?P, not found)
Wedelia africana Pers. [family ], Pl. 2: 490 (1807); P.Beauv., Fl. Owar. Benin 2: 19, t. 69 (1810); DC., Prodr. 5: 439 (1836); Oliv. & Hiern, F.T.A. 3: 376 (1877); F.P.S. 3: 62 (1956)
Aspilia latifolia Oliv. & Hiern [family COMPOSITAE], F.T.A. 3: 379 (1877); F.P.S. 3: 9 (1956). Type: Ghana, Accra, Vogel s.n. (K!, SYN.); Nigeria, Niger R., Baikie s.n. (K!, SYN.); Nigeria, Old Calabar, Mann s.n. (K, SYN., not found) & Monteiro s.n. (K, SYN., not found); Sudan, Djur land, Seriba Ghattas, Schweinfurth 2011 (K!, P!, SYN.) & Niam-niam land, Schweinfurth 3737 (K!, SYN.)
Wedelia magnifica Chiov. [family ], in Ann. Bot. Rom. 9: 74 (1911). Type: Ethiopia, Gondar, Dembia, Chiovenda 1582 (FT, holo.)
Aspilia congoensis S.Moore [family COMPOSITAE], in J.Bot. 58: 45 (1920); Wild in Kirkia 5: 213 (1965); Lisowski, Asterac. Fl. Afr. Centr. 1: 194, t. 43 (1991). Type: Congo (Kinshasa), upper Welle Province, Lacombley 67 (BM!, holo., BR!, iso.),
Aspilia africana (Chiov.) Wild subsp. magnifica [family COMPOSITAE], in Kirkia 5: 219 (1965)
Information
Perennial herb 25–130 cm high, erect; stem scabrid. Leaves lanceolate, 4–12 cm long, 0.7–3.7(–5) cm wide, base cuneate, margins serrate, apex attenuate to acuminate, scabrid on both surfaces and often also pubescent beneath; 3-veined from base; petiole 2–4 mm long, winged. Capitula in lax terminal corymbs; stalks of individual capitula 1–5 cm long; involucre ovoid, 3-seriate, 6–14 mm long; phyllaries recurved distally, some of the outer occasionally much shorter, scabrid; paleae ± 7 mm long, acuminate from a wider part (almost appendiculate). Ray florets 10–12, pale to rich yellow, ray 8–12 mm long, sometimes glandular abaxially, tube 2 mm long, style present; disc florets 4.8–6 mm long, glabrous or nearly so; anthers with black appendage. Achenes ovoid, compressed, 3–3.5 mm long, pubescent; pappus of a laciniate cupule to 1 mm long, without setae.
Range
DISTR. U 1–4; T 1, 4, 5, 7 widespread in tropical Africa
Altitude range
800–1800(–2100) m
Distribution
TANZANIA Mwanza District Mbarika, Apr. 1953, Tanner 1377!TANZANIA Kigoma District Gombe National Park, Msekela Hill, Mar. 1996, Kayombo et al. 1227!TANZANIA Chunya District Mbangala, Feb. 1994, Bidgood et al. 2234!UGANDA W Nile District Maracha Rest Camp, July 1953, Chancellor 59!UGANDA Bunyoro District Budongo Forest, July 1972, Synnott 1086!UGANDA Mubende District Kasambya, May 1957, Griffiths 20!
Notes
USES.Minor medicinal for infected cuts and against bilharzia (Tanner) and against fever (Lovett)CONSERVATION Least concern (LC) Wild commented that he thought of treating Aspilia congoensis as a subspecies of A. africana butthat the differences (which seem to boil down to “caudate-acuminate paleae like in A. pluriseta, not acute as in A. africana ”) were enough to keep it distinct. After having studied the type of A. congoensis and material of A. africana (sadly, I was unable to trace the type of A. africana) HB feels that the two are synonymous; paleae can vary considerably and within the range of A. africana sensu stricto attenuate paleae occur with regularity. The name africana is much older and has priority.

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