智利猫儿菊 zhi li mao er ju

Apargia chillensis Kunth in Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 4, ed. f°: 2. 1818; Achyrophorus brasiliensis (Lessing) Schultz Bipontinus; A. chillensis (Kunth) Schultz Bipontinus; Hypochaeris brasiliensis (Lessing) Bentham & J. D. Hooker ex Grisebach; Porcellites brasiliensis Lessing.

Herbs 20-50(-?) cm tall, perennial, rosulate, with a taproot. Stem erect, apically sparsely branched, glabrous or hirsute basally, leafy. Rosette leaves narrowly elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, 5-10(-?) × 1-2(-?) cm, undivided and margin coarsely sinuate-dentate and ciliate or pinnatifid with triangular to lanceolate lobes, abaxially sparsely pubescent on midrib, adaxially glabrous, base narrow, apex acute to acuminate. Stem leaves few, smaller, narrower, undivided, base ± clasping, otherwise similar to rosette leaves. Synflorescence corymbiform, with few to several capitula. Capitula with many (> 50) florets; peduncle long. Involucre cylindric to narrowly campanulate, 0.9-1.2 × 0.4-0.6 cm at anthesis, 1.5-1.8 cm in fruit. Phyllaries hirsute; outer phyllaries lanceolate to linear-lanceolate; inner phyllaries linear-lanceolate. Florets yellow, slightly longer than involucre. Achene brown; body fusiform, 4-5 mm, ribbed and muricate; beak capillaceous, 4-5 mm. Pappus 4-7 mm, all bristles plumose. Fl and fr. Jun-Jul. 2n = 8.

Roadsides; 500-600 m. Naturalized in N Taiwan [native to SE South America].

Hypochaeris chillensis has also been introduced to S Africa and SE North America.

This species was first recorded in 2009 (M. J. Jung et al., Taiwania 55: 412-416. 2010). No material has been seen from Taiwan by the present authors. The description is based on the publication by the above authors and supplemented with material from outside the area.