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hispid starbur, hispid starburr

starbur, starburr

Habit Plants 10–60+ cm. Annuals (sometimes persisting), 10–60(–120) cm.
Stems

erect.

erect to ± prostrate (repeatedly “forked”).

Leaves

blades rhombic-ovate to obovate, (20–)40–120(–150+) mm, faces finely pilosulous, gland-dotted.

cauline; opposite; petiolate or ± sessile;

blades mostly elliptic to deltate, rhombic, or ovate, sometimes lyrate, ultimate margins entire or toothed, faces usually pilosulous to sericeous or scabrellous, sometimes glabrate or glabrescent, usually gland-dotted.

Involucres

± hemispheric, 3–5 mm diam. (becoming ± rotate in fruit).

Receptacles

convex, paleate (paleae cuneate to spatulate, ± conduplicate or flattish, membranous).

Ray florets

5–8, pistillate, fertile;

corollas yellowish (tubes shorter than to equaling laminae, laminae ovate to elliptic or linear).

Disc florets

3–8(–12+), functionally staminate;

corollas yellowish, tubes shorter than funnelform or campanulate throats, lobes 5, deltate.

Phyllaries

persistent (outer) or falling, 10–13 in 2 series (outer 4–6 herbaceous, inner 5–8 each investing a ray ovary, enlarging in fruit to form a perigynium, shed with enclosed cypsela).

Fruits

± compressed, ± cuneate to obovate, 4–6+ mm, not notably ribbed, terminal spines 2, divergent, 3–4 mm, often 1 ± uncinate, prickles seldom notably uncinate, ± scattered.

Heads

radiate, 1(–3) in “forks” of branches (terminal, appearing axillary by sympodial growth).

Cypselae

each enclosed within and shed with an often hardened, ± prickly perigynium (the ultimate “fruits” plumply ellipsoid to fusiform, or ± compressed);

pappi 0 or rudimentary.

x

= 11.

2n

= 22.

Acanthospermum hispidum

Acanthospermum

Phenology Flowering year round, mostly Aug–Oct.
Habitat Disturbed, often sandy sites
Elevation 0–100+ m (0–300+ ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; NJ; OR; SC; VA; ON; South America [Introduced in North America; also introduced in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands (Hawaii)]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
mostly tropical to warm-temperate New World [Introduced in North America; also introduced in Old World]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 6 (3 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Fruits 7–9+ mm, 5–7-ribbed, terminal spines 0
A. australe
1. Fruits 2–6 mm, 3-ribbed or not notably ribbed, terminal spines 2
→ 2
2. Leaf blades rhombic-ovate to obovate, (20–)40–120(–150+) mm; fruits not notably ribbed, prickles ± scattered
A. hispidum
2. Leaf blades ovate to lyrate, 10–30(–45) mm; fruits usually 3-ribbed, prickles mostly along 2 ribs and around apices
A. humile
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 37. FNA vol. 21, p. 36. Author: John L. Strother.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Melampodiinae > Acanthospermum Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Melampodiinae
Sibling taxa
A. australe, A. humile
Subordinate taxa
A. australe, A. hispidum, A. humile
Name authority de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 5: 522. (1836) Schrank: Pl. Rar. Hort. Monac. 2: plate 53. (1820)
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