Pluchea ovalis (Pers.) DC.

A rare species in our area.

A tall shrub up to 2.5 m high, branches erect, striate, glandular pubescent, sometimes tomentose or woolly, hairs simple, multicellular. Leaves obovate, oblong-obovate, lanceolate to oblanceolate (1-) 1.5-4 (-6) x 1.5-3 cm, coarsely dentate, with acute to obtuse apex, sessile, conspicuously decurrent (mainly on younger branches) or broadly auriculate and only slightly decurrent, more or less pilose above and softly tomentose below. Capitula many, sessile or shortly pedunculate in compound corymbs; phyllaries 4-5 (-6) seriate, outer ones pilose, glandular, 1.5-2.5 (-2.75) mm long, acute with slightly fimbriate margin, inner ones longer 4-6.5 mm long, linear acute with fimbriate margin. Marginal florets female, 60-100, 4-5 mm long, disc florets bisexual, few, 4-6 mm long, corolla purple. Anthers tailed. Cypselas hairy, terete to subangular, of marginal ones 1-1.3 mm long, indistinctly ribbed; of central florets pale, slightly broader; pappus setae 13-20, 4-6 mm long, barbellate, caducous.

Distribution: West Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and India.

Fl.Per.: October-February.