Aciphylla stannensis

Detailed description

Stout rosette-forming herb with ascending leaves. Rosettes 1-8(- many). Leaves cartilaginous, orange-green, up to 320 mm or more long, 1-pinnate with 1-2 pairs of leaflets; sheath up to 54 x 8-17 mm; stipules simplex, up to 27 x 1 mm, sometimes absent, spaced up to 6 mm apart at insertions; petiole up to 60 x 6 mm, often shorter, concave, margins acute, sheath joint obscure, pulvinus obscure or rarely evident then up to 5 mm long; lamina more or less obtrullate in profile; lowermost leaflet up to 220 x 5 mm with an apical spine up to 6 mm long, margin and midribs up to 1 mm wide, yellow or orange, margins often raised; marginal tubercles coarse up to 0.15 mm wide, often forming a discontinuous series. Inflorescences narrow. Female inflorescences 0.4-1 m long, with stems up to 250 x 10 mm, reddish brown; head up to 150 x 20 mm, more or less lanceolate in outline; compound umbels up to 22; lower bracts up to 100 mm long with a sheath up to 28 x 8 mm, stipules up to 12 x 1 mm, lamina simple up to 75 x 3 mm, segments ascending to appressed. Lower compound umbels up to 25 mm long, peduncles up to 6 x 1.4 mm, primary bracteoles minute, umbels up to 4 each with peduncles up to 8 x 1mm, the innermost umbels often sessile, secondary bracteoles few up to 2 x 0.8 mm. Flowers up to 10 per umbel; pedicels up to 2 x 0.9 mm, sepals up to 0.3 mm; petals 1 x 0.6 mm, not inflexed, median oil tube red-brown, staminodes up to 0.6 mm long. Male inflorescence up to 380 mm long, stems up to 150 x 6 mm, reddish-brown; head 230 x 50 mm, narrow-ovate in outline; compound umbels up to 27; lower bracts up to 85 mm long, sheaths up to 30 x 4 mm, stipules up to 10 x 1 mm, lamina simple, up to 54 z 2 mm, segments ascending. Lower compound umbels up to 47 mm long, peduncles up to 23 x 1 mm, primary bracteoles minute; umbels up to 9 with peduncles up to 16 x 0.9 mm, the innermost umbels sessille to subsessile; secondary bracteoles 6-7, up to 1.5 x 0.3 mm. Flowers 12 per umbel, pedicels 3 x 0.4 mm; sepals 0.3 mm long; petals 1.1. x 0.75 mm, not inflexed, median oil-tube conspicuous, red-brown; stamens 1.75 mm long. Mericarps up to 8 x 3.3 mm, pale brown, glossy, each pair with 5/3 or 4/3 ribs; lateral ribs up to 0.5 mm wide; styles up to 1.2 mm long.