Ethulia ramosa Roxburgh.

Herbs, annual, 0.4-1[-2] m tall. Stems erect, upper parts branched, lower part green or purplish, striate, adpressed puberulent or subglabrous. Leaves denser, lowermost withered and shed by anthesis, median leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 5-9[-13] × 1.5-2.5 cm, both surfaces gland-dotted, lateral veins 7- or 8-paired, adaxially rather prominent, base cuneately attenuate into short petiole, margin subentire to distantly coarsely serrate, apex acuminate or acute; upper leaves smaller, shallowly serrate or subentire. Synflorescence usually in terminal corymbs, often 2 or 3 together in sessile cluster. Capitula small; peduncles 0-6 mm, densely ferruginous puberulent. Involucre hemispheric at anthesis, rotate in fruit, to 2.5 × 5-7 mm; phyllaries 4- or 5-seriate, subequal, ovate or oblong-lanceolate, ca. 3 mm, apex acuminate or rather obtuse, outer and median ferruginous puberulent and glandular, inner glabrous and glandular. Florets to ca. 30; corolla pale purplish, tubular, 1.2-1.5 mm, glandular; lobes lanceolate. Achenes obconical, 1.2-2.1 mm, (3 or)4 or 5(or 6)-ribbed, apical rim expanded laterally to form wide truncate apex, fulvous glandular between ribs. Pappus absent. Fl. Apr-May.

By ponds and rice fields; 600-1400 m. Taiwan, S Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Laos, Thailand; Africa, South America (introduced)].