Flora-Fauna

Carlina libanotica Boiss.

Syn. Carlina involucrata Poiret subsp. libanotica (Boiss.) Meusel & Kästner
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, Pl. CCLIII nº 1–2; 1983)

• Life-form & habit: Perennial, 30–50 cm tall; stem erect, woody at base, simple or branched, covered—like the leaves—with a woolly pubescence.

• Leaves: Cauline leaves oblong-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, more or less petiolate, pinnatifid with segments ending in long spines.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Capitula large (25–40 mm in diameter), surrounded by involucral bracts always longer than the yellow, linear inner bracts.

• Phenology: Flowers from summer to autumn.

• Habitat & elevation: Roadsides, pastures, and mountain slopes.

• Lebanese distribution:
  Coastal (Ct.): Ras Beyrouth
  Mountains (Mm.): ‘Aïn Zehalta, Jabal Sannine, Jabal Kneissé, Jabal Zahour, ‘Ainata
  Beqaa (Ve.): ‘Amiq

• Syrian distribution:
  Anti-Lebanon (A.L.): East of Ouadi-el-Qarn
  Mountains (Mm.): Jabal Mattai
  Hermon: Southeastern slopes

• Native range: Cyprus, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Türkey (KEW)