山蟛蜞菊 shan peng qi ju

Verbesina montana Blume, Bijdr. 911. 1826; Wedelia montana (Blume) Boerlage; W. montana var. pilosa H. Koyama; W. montana var. wallichii (Lessing) H. Koyama; W. urticifolia Candolle; W. urticifolia var. wallichii (Lessing) Candolle; W. wallichii Lessing.

Perennial herbs. Stems erect, stout, glabrous or scabrid. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1-2 cm; blade ovate or ovate-lanceolate, (3-)5-9 × (1-)3-4 cm, both surfaces scabrid, base rounded or cuneate, margin crenulate, apex acuminate. Capitula ca. 15 mm in diam., solitary on elongate peduncle; involucre campanulate, 7-10 × 4-5 mm; outer phyllaries papery, green, oblong, ca. 10 mm, dorsally scabrid, apex obtuse or shortly acute, inner phyllaries oblong to lanceolate, ca. 7 mm, dorsally pubescent in upper part, apex acuminate; paleae oblong, sparsely pubescent. Ray florets 1-seriate, yellow; lamina oblong, 4-6 × ca. 2 mm, apex 2- or 3-toothed. Disk florets tubular, yellow. Achenes red-brown, obovoid-trigonous, slightly compressed, ca. 5 mm; pappus elements 2 or 3. Fl. Apr-Oct.

Streamsides, roadsides; 500-1200(-3000) m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand].

Two taxa are represented among the material cited by Candolle under Wollastonia montana. That representing Blume’s concept of Verbesina montana certainly does not belong to Melanthera, and it is felt better to include it here within the concept of Wollastonia. It should also be noted that Wedelia wallichii var. megalantha is not conspecific with type material of W. wallichii but appears to be Wollastonia biflora.