SPECIES DESCRIPTION
HYPOCHAERIS TENUIFLORA
Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- Robertia tenuiflora, Seriola tenuiflora
Meaning:- Hypochaeris (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher
Theophrastus.
Tenuiflora (L) With slender (tubular) flowers.
General description:- Perennial.
Stems:-
1) 2-9 cm, simple or sparingly branched, not thickened near the apex, subglabrous,
with several remote, linear scales.
Leaves:-
1) 1·5-10 cm, linear to spathulate or oblanceolate, subentire to pinnatifid, glabrous
to sparsely pubescent.
Flowers:-
1) Capitula, up to 5-9 mm wide.
2) Involucral bracts, up to 10 x 2 mm, in several rows, tomentose on the margin or
on the back, sometimes sparsely setose on the back.
3) Ligules, yellow.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes, 4·5-6·5 mm, shortly beaked;
2) Pappus, of 1 row of plumose hairs 4-4·5 mm, not dilated at the base.
Key features:-
1) Stems, 2-9 cm.
2) Achenes, shortly beaked.
3) Pappus-hairs, not dilated at the base.
Habitat:- Cervices and ledges of limestone cliffs. rocky slopes, clayey dolines.
1400-2300 m.
Distribution:- Endemic to the three main massifs of Crete. Fairly common in the
Lefka Ori and Dikti, rare on Psiloritis.
Flowering time:- End of May to July, sometimes later.
Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis
Status:-
Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree
67/1981
