Brachylaena is a genus of flowering plants in the aster, or composite, family Asteraceae or Compositae. Several are endemic to Madagascar, and the others are distributed in mainland Africa, especially the southern regions.Beentje, H. J. (2000). The genus Brachylaena (Compositae: Mutisieae). Kew Bulletin 55 (1): 1-41.
These are trees and shrubs with alternately arranged leaves. One of these, Brachylaena merana of Madagascar, is the tallest of all composites ('daisy trees") at up to , and Brachylaena huillensis of East Africa is of similar height (but see also Strobocalyx arborea). They are dioecious, with male and female flowers occurring on separate individuals. The flower heads are somewhat disc-shaped. Heads with female flowers are larger and produce larger pappi.Hyde, M. A., et al. (2013). Brachylaena. Flora of Zimbabwe.
B. huillensis is the only widespread species, growing as a dominant tree in Brachylaena woodlands and a common species in some eastern African forests. It provides critical habitat for many animal species. It is also sought after for its wood and has been overexploited.Cordeiro, N. J. and M. Githiru. (2000). Conservation evaluation for birds of Brachylaena woodland and mixed dry forest in north-east Tanzania. Bird Conservation International 10(1), 47-65.
Species
Some species are subject of dispute: Brachylaena rotundata S.Moore is seen by some as Brachylaena discolor var. rotundata (S.Moore) Beentje Brachylaena transvaalensis Hutch. ex E.Phillips & Schweick. is seen as synonym of Brachylaena discolor var. transvaalensis (E.Phillips & Schweick.) Beentje
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