Dog's Tongue

Leaf blades mostly 3–15(–20+) cm × 10–30(–45+) mm (including petioles), both faces sparsely pilose or hirsute, often glabrescent, abaxial resin-gland-dotted. Bracts 15–45+ × 2–5+ mm. Inner phyllaries 9–12 mm, sparsely hispidulous to pilosulous (hairs 0.1–0.3 mm), often glabrescent. Cypselae 7–8 mm; pappi 1–9+ mm (including aristae). 2n = 26, 28 [3 reports, all from outside flora].

Elephantopus spicatus Jussieu ex Aublet, Hist. Pl. Guian. 2: 808. 1775

Pseudelephantopus spicatus (Juss.) Rohr, Skr. Xat.Selsk. Kjpb. 2: 213. 1792.
Elephantopus spicatus Juss.; Aubl. PI. Guian. 2: 808. 1775. Distreptus spicatus Cass. Diet. Sci. Nat. 13: 367. 1819. Matamoria spicata Llave & Lex. Nov. Veg. Descr. 1: 8. 1824. Distreptus spiralis Less. Linnaea 6: 690. 1831. Elephantopus crispus D. Dietr. Syn. PI. 4: 1372. 1847.
Stems herbaceous, erect, 3-10 dm. high, simple or freely branched, thinly pubescent or glabra te; leaf-blades ascending, variable in shape from narrowly oblong-linear to broadly elliptic or obovate, 5-15 cm. long, 1-4 cm. wide, acute or obtuse, crenulate to entire, narrowed to a sessile clasping base, thinly papillose-pilose, especially on the veins, or glabrous, the upper leaf-blades oblong-linear or narrowly elliptic, much reduced in size; spikes numerous, terminating the stem and branches and forming a loose open panicle; bracteal leaves linear or narrowly oblong, barely exceeding the heads, or none; involucre narrowly campanulate or cylindric, about 1 cm. high, the scales appressed, sharply acuminate, green with colorless margins, glabrous or thinly pilose and frequently resinous; achenes densely hirsute on the ribs, resinous in the furrows, 7-8 mm. long; pappus pale-brown, 5-6 mm. long, the plicate bristles exserted from the involucre.
Type locality: French Guiana.
Distribution: Cuba and Mexico to tropical South America; tropics of the Old World.