蘭嶼木耳菜

Gynura elliptica Credit: HAST

Fleshy herbs to 50 cm tall, decumbent at base. Stems hollow, furrowed in dry specimens, sparsely pubescent, leafy, branched, glabrous or slightly puberulous apically. Cauline leaves many, juicy, lower and middle ones petiolate, 8-14 cm long (petiole 10-25 mm long), base auriculate, incised, elliptic, 7-11×4.5-6 cm, apex and base rounded, margins entire or sparsely mucronulate, densely puberulous on both surfaces. Heads 14-17 mm long, in loose corymbs; peduncle 6-23 mm long. Involucre tubular, 9 mm long, bracts slightly puberulous. Corolla yellow, 10-12 mm long, lobes 1-1.5 mm long. Achenes light brown, pubescent. Pappus 10 mm long, bristles slender, unequal.

TAITUNG: Lanyu Is., Leu 1372, Peng 7655; Lutao Is., Sata s. n. 1932.

Endemic to Lanyu and Lutao islands, along seacoasts.