NOTOBASIS SYRIACA

Family:- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Syrian thistle

Synonyms:- Carduus syriacus, Cirsium syriacum, Cnicus syriacus.

Meaning:- Notobasis (L) Southern base.

Syriaca (L) From Syria, Syrian.

General description:- Medium, thistle-like annual;

Stems:-

1) 20-60(-150) cm, stiff, sometimes branched above, not spiny-winged, often flushed

with bluish-purple.

Leaves:-

1) Spinulose on the upper surface or margin and usually with spinose teeth

or lobes.white-veined above.

2) Basal, herbaceous, elliptical, dentate to lobed, petiolate;

3) Cauline, coriaceous, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, pinnatifid, broadly

auriculate-amplexicaul,

4) Uppermost rigid, pinnatisect, nearly reduced to

strong spines, surrounding and exceeding the capitula.

Flower:-

1) Capitula in racemose clusters or solitary.

2) Involucre 17-23 x 15-25 mm, globose-campanulate.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes 5-6 mm, brown, obliquely obovoid-globose, without an apical projection.

2) Pappus, outer, setae 13-15 mm, the inner hairs 1-2 mm.

Key features:-

1) Leaves spinulose on the upper surface or margin and usually with spinose teeth

or lobes.white-veined above.

2) Achenes obliquely obovoid-globose, without apical projection.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Coastal habitats, roadsides, olive groves, field margins, wasteground. 0-

600 (-1000) m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to mid-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton