ANTHEMIS ALTISSIMA
Family:- COMPOSITAE/Sect. COTA
Common Names:- None
Synonyms:- Cota altissima
Meaning:- Anthemis (Gr) Flowery.
Altissima (L) The tallest.
General description:- Erect, robust, pubescent to nearly glabrous annual.
Stem:-
1) 20-120 cm, sometimes with subcorymbose branches.
Leaves:-
1) Ovate to broadly oblong in outline, 2- or 3-pinnatisect; ultimate segments oblong-
lanceolate, mucronate.
2) Segments, patent.
3) Lobes, linear, mucronate-spinulose.
Flowers:-
1) Capitula, (20-)25-40(-50) mm in diam.
2) Peduncles, 1·5-4 cm at anthesis, up to 7·5 cm and somewhat clavate in fruit.
3) Involucre, hemispherical, finally ± round and umbonate.
4) Involucral bracts, outer, ovate-lanceolate, acute, without a scarious margin.
5) Involucral bracts, inner, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, obtuse and with
hyaline or a brownish-scarious margin and apex.
6) Ligules, up to 20 mm.
7) Disk-floret, up to 20 mm in diam.
8) Receptacle, hemispherical; scales straw-coloured, oblong-spathulate, truncate or
emarginate, contracted into a rigid point as long as the scale, longer than the
florets.
Fruits:-
1) Achenes 2-2·5 mm, obpyramidal-subcompressed, very narrowly winged, (7-)8- to
10(-11)-striate on each side, those of the ligules triangular, those of the disc
quadrangular; rim acute or a very short corona.
Key features:-
1) Branches erect to erecto-patent; involucre ± hemispherical
2) Peduncles clavate in fruit; acumen of the receptacular scales about as long as
the scale.
3) Receptacular scales abruptly contracted above.
4) Achenes with 7-11 ribs on each side.
5) Leaves 2- to 3-pinnatisect.
Habitat:- Cultivated and fallow fields. road embankments and ruderal habitats, 0-
1100 m.
Distribution:- Throughout mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, not recorded
from the Ionian islands. - Medilerranean area and SW to C Asia
Flowers:- April to mid-June. occasionally later in irrigated fields.
Photos by:- Giorgos Palimetakis
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
