GLEBIONIS SEGETUM

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Corn marigold

Synonyms:- For a full list of Homotypic Synonyms click here.

Meaning:- Glebionis. Meaning unknown.

Segetum (L) Of cornfields, growing amongst crops.

General description:- Short to tall, greyish, hairless annual, somewhat fleshy.

Stems:-

1) 20-60(-80) cm, simple or branched.

Leaves:-

1) Oblong to obovate-oblong.glaucous.

a) lower and middle cauline, deeply incise-dentate.

b) Upper, subentire, somewhat amplexicaul.

Flowers:-

1) Uniformly golden yellow, joined together in a capitula from 30 to 60 mm diam.

2) Involucre, 13-20 mm in diam.

3) Bracts:

a) outer, ovate, obtuse, yellowish-green, with a pale brown

marginal band, the apex scarious.

b) Inner, similar but widened at the appendage.

4) Florets, yellow.

5) Pedicel, thickened under the flower-head.

Fruits

1) Achenes, 10-ribbed.

b) outer, with 2 lateral wings; lateral faces with 1-2 ribs, adaxial face with 3

prominent, whitish ribs.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, broadly oblanceolate, serrate to 1-pinnastisect, glaucous.

2) Achenes, of ligulate florets without an adaxial wing.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy coastal habitats, cereal fields, olive groves, roadsides,

occasionally open dry shrubby vegetation, 0-500(-900) m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean area and W

& C Europe. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton