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Blumea milnei Seem. [ Asteraceae ]

Taxonomy Reports: ITIS | IPNI | IOPI

Samoan Name:
English Name:
Status: Indigenous
Habit: Herb

Indigenous to American Samoa, ranging from New Guinea to Samoa. This large herb has probably been extirpated from American Samoa, as well as the whole archipelago. The only record of it from American Samoa is from Ofu over a century ago, and the three records from independent Samoa are also over a century old. It is rare in Tonga and Fiji, where it has been seen or collected by Whistler. It may have originally been a weed of all elevations, but no elevation data is reported for it in Samoa. It was probably found mostly in montane forest. It is reported from near sea level to 1100 m in elevation in Fiji. See Randeria in Blumea 10: 231. 1960 for further information. No names or uses have been reported for this plant.

Coarse erect herb up to 3 m in height, with pubescent stems. Leaves simple, alternate, blade elliptic, 4–27 cm long, attenuate at the base, acute to acuminate at the tip; surfaces appressed pubescent; margins toothed; petiole 0.5–3 cm long. Inflorescence of discoid heads in clusters borne in axillary and terminal panicles 10–30 cm long; heads 5–8 mm long, with linear to oblong phyllaries 5–8 mm long, the receptacle naked. Disc florets numerous, yellow, tubular, shallowly 5-lobed, ca. 6–8 mm long. Ray florets absent. Ovary inferior, 2-celled, with a long, 2-lobed style. Stamens 5, epipetalous, included. Fruit an oblong, 5–10 ribbed achene ca. 0.5 mm long, with a pappus comprising numerous fine white setae 4–5 mm long, in a single series borne on a basal ring. Flowering and fruiting have been reported throughout the year.

Distinguishable by its tall herbaceous habit; alternate leaves; panicles of heads bearing white disc florets; and achenes bearing numerous terminal bristles.

OLOSEGA:
38. Reinecke 468—East side in a moist depression under a ridge (“Kamm”).

Other Samoan Collections: UPOLU: (3).

Other Collections:

Georeference: -14.315569, -170.701986

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