LOMELOSIA DIVARICATA

Family and Genus:- See- DIPSACACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Scabiosa divaricata.

Meaning:- Lomelosia. Meaning unknown.

Divaricata (L) Wide-spreading, straggling.

General description:- Shortly pubescent annual, with some long, erect hairs.

Stem:-

1) (10-)20-40 cm, branched.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, oblong-lanceolate, spathulate, entire or slightly dentate.

2) Upper, lyrate-pinnatisect, with narrowly lanceolate or linear segments.

Flower:-

1) Capitula, 10-15 mm diam, ellipsoid or globose-ellipsoid in fruit.

2) Involucral bracts, 18-24 (-28) mm, narrowly lanceolate, about twice as long as

the florets.

3) Involucel-tube, 2·5-3·8 mm; pits 1·2-1·6 mm, glabrous.

4) Corona, (1·6-)2-2·5(-2·7) mm, shorter than the tube, square in outline, with (20-)

23-25 veins, distinctly excurrent for c. 1-1·5 mm.

5) Calyx-setae, 2-4 times as long as the corona.

6) Corolla, of marginal florets 6-8 mm, slightly longer than that of the central,

reddish.

Key features:-

1) Corona, square in outline, the veins distinctly excurrent.

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Habitat:- Sandy and rocky coastal habitats, dry grassland, open deciduous oak

scrub. 0-900 m.

Distribution:- Spain, Sicily, N Africa and the E Mediterranean eastwards, including

Cyprus. Somewhat limited distribution across Crete.

Flowering time:- Apr to June, sometimes later.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis