Flora-Fauna

Centaurea cheirolopha (Fenzl) Wagenitz

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, Pl. CCCV nº 1; 1983)

• Life-form & habit: Erect, branched herb with angular, arachnoid stems, 30–60 cm tall or more.

• Leaves: Glabrous above, canescent beneath; basal and lower cauline leaves long-petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, entire or lyrate with short decurrent-retrorse lateral segments. Upper leaves lanceolate to linear, shortly decurrent.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Capitula solitary, subtended by 1–2 linear leaves longer than the involucre, erect or spreading.

• Bracts: Yellowish, ending in a brownish, spreading appendage divided into 5–7 equal palmately arranged short spines (1–5 mm). Inner bracts scarious, torn at the apex.

• Fruit: Achenes puberulent, white, glossy. Intermediate row of pappus hairs 5–6× shorter than the main outer row.

• Phenology: Flowers from May to July.

• Habitat & elevation: Wooded areas and grassy habitats.

• Lebanese distribution:
  Mi.: Mrouj, Salima, Bikfaya, ‘Abey, Mayrouba, Qrayé, Machnaqa, ‘Aramoun, Sir-ed-Denniyé
  Mm.: Sannine, Ehden, Forests of Ehden, Dimane, Jourd Tannourine, Jourd Dimane, Hasroun, Tourza, Cedars, Hadeth-aj-Joubé
  Ve.: Deir-el-Ahmar

• Syrian distribution:
  S. Mi.: Qadmous to Massiaf, east of Banias, Slenfé
  NLatt.: Cassius region, Kessab, S of El Ourdour, S of Chakrourane

• Native range: Lebanon, Syria and  southern Turkey (Taurus of Cilicia and Amanus)