Vernonia elaeagnifolia

Vernonia elaeagnifolia DC., Prodr. 5: 22, 1836; Clarke, Comp. Ind. 24, 1876; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 237, 1881; Voight, Hort. Suburb. Cal. 406, 1845. Naik, Fl, Marathwada 505, 1998.

Vernacular name : Curtain Plant.

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE

Morphological characters :

Habit: Scandent shrub.

Stem: Woody with divaricate branches, young parts pubescent.

Leaves: Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, oblong – elliptic, 2 – 6cm long and 1 – 3 cm broad, narrowed at base, entire margin, apex acute or obtuse, glabrous above, minutely silky - pubescent below, petioles very short, 0.5 cm; reticulate venation.

Inflorescence: Termianl stalked corymbs, heads narrow, 5 – 8 mm long, pedicellate, homogamous.

Flower: Flower bracteate, involucre ovoid, globose, equaling or shorter than the flowers; bracts in many series, outer hairy, herbaceous, obovate, acute, intermediate ones obovate – concave, margin fimbriate, ciliate, obtuse, longest; epigynous, receptacle small, naked, actinomorphic, bisexual.

Calyx: Pappus hairs dull-white, 2-seriate, the outer much shorter than the inner; polysepalous.

Corolla: Tubular, petals all equal, regular, slender; lobes 5, dull-white, narrow, gamopetalous, valvate aestivation.

Androecium: Stamens 5 m, epipetalous, syngenesious, dithecous, anther-base obtuse.

Gynoecium: Bicarpellary, syncarpous, inferior ovary, unilocular wiyh one ovule on basal placentaion; style-arms subulate, hairy.

Fruit: Achenes obovate, 3 – 4 mm long, angled.

Flowering period: January – April.

Economic uses: Ornamental, curtain plant on walls. It is root tonic, febrifuge and emetic.