COLEOSTEPHUS MYCONIS
Family:- COMPOSITAE
Common Name:- None
Meaning:- Coleostephus (L) Possibly for a sheathed-crown.
Myconis (L) Fungus-like, of fungus.
General description:- Annual.
Stems:-
1) 10-45 cm, sparingly branched, suberect, glabrous or slightly hairy.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, 2-5 cm, obovate to obovate-spathulate, broadly obtuse, more or less
regularly toothed, petiolate.
2) Middle cauline, ovate-oblong, subamplexicaul.
Flowers:-
1) Capitula 2 cm diam.
2) Ligules 6-15 mm, yellow, whitish or discolorous.
3) Corolla-teeth of tubular florets subacute.
4) Phyllaries brownish with a narrow scarious border.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes of ligulate florets 3 mm, compressed, sterile, with an elongate,
membranous, tubular pappus enveloping the corolla-tube.
2) Achenes of tubular florets c. 2 mm, cylindrical, with an auricle 1·2-1·8 mm
enveloping the lower half of the corolla-tube.
Key features:-
1) Leaves ± regularly toothed.
2) Corolla-teeth of tubular florets subacute.
3) Pappus an auricle subequalling achene, sheathing.
Habitat:- Sandy coastal habitats, cultivated and fallow fields, wasteground. 0-200
m.
Distribution:- W mainland Greece and Ionian Islands. - Widespread in the
Mediterranean area, S Anatolia and W Syria. Rare on Crete known from a few
location in the west and one in the east.
.
Flowering time:- Apr to early June.
Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
