PICNOMON ACARNA

Family:- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Yellow-spine thistle

Synonyms:- Carduus acarna, Carlina acarna, Cirsium acarna, Cnicus

acarna.

Meaning:- Picnomon. Meaning unknown.

Acarna. Meaning unknown.

General description:- Short to medium, very spiny, erect annual, grey with

cobwebby hairs.

Stems:-

1) (10-)20-50(-70) cm, much-branched, with somewhat spiny, narrow wings.

Leaves:-

1) Alternate, narrow-oblong to lance-shaped with marginal clusters of long slender,

marginal, gold spines 4-15 mm.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, cylindrical, 22-30 mm long, purple, in clusters surrounded by the

uppermost leaves; flower-bracts terminated by a branched recurved spine.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes 5-6 mm, pale brown, shiny.

2) Pappus 14-19 mm.

Key features:-

1) Leaves green above.

2) Achenes ± oblong, with apical projection.

3) Involucral bracts with deflexed, pinnate apical spine.

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Habitat:- Roadsides, wasteground, dry streambeds, open dry shrubby vegetation.

0-600(-1100) m. occasionally higher.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- July-Sept.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton