Aciphylla anomala

Detailed description

Slender tufted herb to 45 cm tall when in flower. Rosettes single or few. Leaves few, rather flaccid, 3-2 foliate or occ. reduced to a single leaflet (all forms may be present on a single plant). Sheaths thin, pale, approximately 80 mm long × 10 mm wide, tapering to apex; stipules absent or vestigial; petioles approximately 70-80 mm long × 2 mm wide, keeled in lower part, flat in upper; internodes absent. Primary pinnae 1 pair, approximate to terminal leaflet, flat, striate, margins finely serrulate-crenulate, c. 8 cm long × 2mm wide, abrubtly narrowing to pungent point; terminal leaflet to 10 cm long × 3 mm wide, sometimes with 1 short accessory pinnule. Flowering stem of male plants slender, ribbed, lower bracts sometimes without flowers; bract sheaths appoximately 30 mm long, thin, pale, tapering to a pair of narrow-linear, pungent, unequal stipules up to 5 mm long; bract lamina up to 70 mm long × 1 mm wide, pungent. Umbels rather distant, on slender rays up to 20 mm long; umbellules several, approximately 3 mm in diameter, on filiform rays approximately 2 mm long; flowers minute. Flowering stems of female plants similar but stouter, up to 10 mm diam.; bract sheaths firmer, furrowed, broader; stipules often reduced to one; bract lamina up to 100 mm long × 40 mm wide, midrib more evident, pungent; umbels more or less hidden by bracts, on short peduncles; umbellules few on short slender rays. Fruit of two mericarps; mericarps (5.5-)6.0-8.5(-9.0) mm, with 3-5 narrowly winged ribs, vittae sometimes obscured