Vernonia sp.
Observed not far from a tended garden at Iten, Kenya. January 2012.
I am guessing that this composite belongs to the genus Vernonia which has many representatives in Kenya. Plants had woody stems reaching two meters in height and were growing at the edge of a wooded area. Elevation about 2000 m
- Disc Flowers: The disc flowers are a shade of lavender-purple. The numerous heads are arrayed in flat-topped groups. The disc flowers have long tubes and five lobes.
- Ray Flowers: No ray flowers.
- Phyllaries: The severl dozen florets are subtended by two rows of bracts.
- Pappus:
- Leaves: The alternate leaves are broadly elyptic with wavy margins and the leaf underside is whitish. Some shallow serrations also.
This example was found along a sunny path in the Taita Hills, Kenya. 29 May 2017.