Blepharispermum

Blepharispermum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.^[1][2] They are distributed in Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Sri Lanka.^[3]

Blepharispermum
Blepharispermum petiolare
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Subfamily:	Asteroideae
Tribe:	Athroismeae
Genus:	Blepharispermum Wight ex DC.

These are shrubs and small trees. The leaf blades are sometimes borne on petioles, which may have spines. The flower head contains 2 female disc florets and 2 to 4 male disc florets. The latter are whitish, greenish, or yellowish. The fruit is a rough-edged cypsela with a pappus.^[3]

Species

15 species are accepted.^[4]

• Blepharispermum arcuatum – Tanzania, Madagascar
• Blepharispermum brachycarphum – Tanzania, Mozambique
• Blepharispermum canescens – Tanzania
• Blepharispermum ellenbeckii – Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya
• Blepharispermum fruticosum – Ethiopia, Somalia
• Blepharispermum hirtum – Yemen, Oman
• Blepharispermum minus – Kenya
• Blepharispermum obovatum – Ethiopia
• Blepharispermum petiolare – Sri Lanka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
• Blepharispermum pubescens – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zaire
• Blepharispermum spinulosum – Ivory Coast, Zaire
• Blepharispermum villosum – Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya
• Blepharispermum xerothamnum – Tanzania
• Blepharispermum yemense – Yemen
• Blepharispermum zanguebaricum – Kenya

Formerly placed here

• Leucoblepharis subsessilis (DC.) Arn. (as Blepharispermum subsessile DC.)^[5]