Vernonieae is a tribe of about 1300 species of plants in the aster family. They are mostly found in the tropics and warmer temperate areas, both in the Americas and the Old World. They are mostly herbaceous plants or shrubs, although there is at least one tree species, .1]
Vernonieae is considered sister to the tribe Liabeae.[1][3][4] The tribe originated in southern Africa or Madagascar, and spread to the Americas in at least two different events.[3]
In many works some 80% of the species in thi
s tribe are classified in the genus
Vernonia. Other authors, like Harold E. Robinson, divide the tribe into a larger number of small genera.[1]
Perennials (or functionally annuals), 1-3(-8+) dm (stems sometimes rooting at proximalnodes). Leavescauline; sessile or petiolate, petioles ± winged; bladesovate
to obovate, lanceolate, or linear, bases ± cuneate, marginstoothed, apicesacute, abaxialfaces usually ± hirtellous to strigillose or tomentose, sometimes nearly glabrous, adaxial faces sparsely scabrellous or glabrate, both usually resin-gland-dotted. Headsdiscoid (pedunculate, each subtended by 3-8+, ± foliaceousbracts), borne singly. Involucres ± hemispheric,
6-12(-18+) mm diam. Phyllaries 24-50+ in 4-8+ series, each proximally firm, distally ± scarious, the outer ovate to deltate or lanceolate, inner oblong to lanceolate, margins entire, tipsrounded to acute, usually apiculate to seta-tipped or attenuate-spinose, abaxial faces glabrous or sparsely strigillose to
tomentose and usually ± resin-gland-dotted distally.Florets 30-50(-100+) ; corollas usually lavender to purplish (rarely white), tubeslonger than funnelformthroats, lobes 5, lance-linear, ± equal. Cypselae ± columnar to plumply clavate, 8-10-ribbed, glabrous, often resin-gland-dotted; pappicaducous, of 20-40 lance-linear to subulatescales.x = 16.[1][more]
Distephanus
Distephanus is a genus of in the Asteraceae family. It contains the following species: [more]
Perennials, (1-) 2-8(-12+) dm; often rhizomatousorstoloniferous.Leaves mostly basal or mostly cauline at flowering; sessile or petiolate, petioles ± winged (often clasping at bases) ; blades mostly elliptic, ovate, or obovate to lanceolate, oblanceolate, or spatulate (rarely orbiculate), bases ± cuneate, margins usually toothed (rarely entire), apicesobtuse to acute, abaxial or both faces usually resin-gland-dotted. Heads ± discoid, sessile, not individually bracteate, in clusters of (1-) 10-40+ in corymbiform-paniculiform arrays 6-15(-25) cm diam. (each cluster subtended by 2-3 ± deltatebracts). Involucres ± cylindric, 1-3+ mm diam. Phyllaries 8 in 4 decussate pairs, the outer 4 ovate, inner 4 lanceolate, all ± chartaceous, margins entire, tips ± spinose to apiculate, abaxial faces of inner 4 usually dotteddistally with resin glands. Florets (1-) 4(-5+) ; corollaswhite or pink to purple,
tubeslonger than abruptly funnelformthroats, lobes 5, lance-linear, unequal (abaxial sinus
deepest). Cypselae ± clavate, sometimes ± flattened, 10-nerved or -ribbed, strigillose to hirsutulous; pappipersistent, of 5(-6), 1-aristate scales (look closely for squamiform, gradually to abruptly tapering base of each arista). x = 11.[2][more]
Eremanthus
Eremanthus Less is a genus of plants belonging to the Asteraceae family with 22 recorded species. All plants are native of Cerrado in Brazil. [more]
Perennials, 2-5+ dm; perhaps rhizomatous.Leavesbasal and cauline; proximalpetiolate, bladesovate to lanceolateorlance-linear; distal ± sessile, blades ovate or elliptic to lanceolate or lance-linear, bases ± clasping, marginsentire or spinose-toothed; all with apicesrounded to acute, facesglabrous or glabrate, resin-gland-dotted. Heads pseudo-radiant (seehere at corollas), ± pedunculate, not individually bracteate; borne singly or in loose, ± corymbiform arrays 6-12 cm diam. Involucres ± hemispheric, 25-45 mm diam. Phyllaries 25-35+ in 5-7 series, the outer with appressed, ± chartaceous bases, distally ± foliaceous, margins pectinately spiny-toothed (at least at base), inner ± chartaceous throughout, mostly entire, faces ± tomentulose and resin-gland-dotted. Florets 12-35(-70+) ; corollas usually blue to purplish blue (rarely white or lilac), tubeslonger than funnelformthroats, lobes 5, lance-linear (in peripheralfloretsadaxial sinus much deeper than others and corollas zygomorphic, ± raylike or ligulelike, in central florets corollas ± actinomorphic). Cypselae ± columnar, 3-4-angled, glabrous; pappicaducous, of 4-5 scales.x = 7.[3][more]
Vernonia is a genus of about 1000 species of forbs and shrubs in the family Asteraceae. Some species are known as Ironweed. Some species are edible and of economic value. They are known for having intense purple flowers. The genus is named for English botanist . There are numerous distinct subgenera and subsections in this genus. This has led some botanists to divide this large genus into smaller groups which separate the species into distinct genera. For instance, the Flora of North America only recognizes about 20 species, 17 of which are in North America north of Mexico, with the other two or three being found in South America. [more]
At least 1,696 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Vernonia.
More info about the Genus Vernonia may be found here.
Clonts, J. A. 1972. A Revision of the Genus Elephantopus Including Orthopappus and Pseudelephantopus (Compositae). Ph.D. thesis. Mississippi State University.
Gleason, H. A. 1922. Centratherum. In: N. L. Britton et al., eds. 1905+. North American Flora¦. 47+ vols. New York. Vol. 33, pp. 49-50.
Kirkman, L. K. 1981. Taxonomic revision of Centratherum and Phyllocephalum (Compositae: Vernonieae). Rhodora 83: 1-24.
Media related to Vernonieae at Wikimedia Commons 
Data related to Vernonieae at Wikispecies 
The Wiktionary entry for vernonieae