KLASEA FLAVESCENS

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:-- Klasea flavescens subsp. cretica, Serratula cichoracea

subsp. cretica

Meaning:- Klasea. Meaning unknown.

Flavescens (L) Pale - yellow, turning yellow.

General description:- Perennial herbs with unarmed leaves.

Stems:-

1) Up to 70 cm, stout, puberulent.

Leaves:-

1) Denticulate.

a) basal, oblanceolate to elliptical, rarely entire.

b) cauline numerous, linear-lanceolate, leaf-bases decurrent.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, 30-40 mm, ventricose, solitary or occasionally a few together.

2) Involucral bracts:

a) outer, glabrous or sparsely ciliate shining, with long, rigid apical spine, the

spine usually strongly recurved at maturity.

b) Inner, rather rigid, geniculate or recurved at the apex.

4) Florets, purple.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, glabrous.

2) Pappus, of several rows of free, finely serrulate or plumose hairs.

Key features:-

1) Involucral bracts, abruptly contracted into fine apical spines or almost without

spines.

2) Cauline leaves, denticulate, linear-lanceolate, sometimes long-decurrent on the

stem.

3) Outer involucral bracts, sparsely ciliate.

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Habitat:- Rocky slopes with open dry shrubby vegetation, coniferous woodland and

gorges. 200-500 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to East Crete. Rare.

Flowering time:- May-June.

Photos by:- Yannis Zacharakis

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997