Family |
Caprifoliaceae
Cephalaria kesruanica
Mouterde
Endemic to Lebanon
Cephalaria kesruanica Mouterde
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, Pl. CLXXVII; 1983)
Life-form & habit: Perennial herb, 1 m tall or more. Stems stout, round, glabrous, faintly striated, branching in the upper third and bearing 3–7 capitula.
Leaves: Basal leaves absent. Cauline leaves opposite, connate at base, pinnatisect with 5–7 lanceolate, acuminate lobes (up to 7 cm long), shortly pubescent on both sides with apically directed hairs. Lower leaves long-petiolate with puberulent, adpressed-hairy petioles; intermediate leaves shortly petiolate; uppermost leaves sessile or subsessile, much reduced with narrow segments.
Inflorescence & flowers: Central capitulum borne on a long naked peduncle; first-order lateral capitula with shorter peduncles; second-order lateral capitula subsessile. Capitula 3–4 cm in diameter.
Bracts: Involucral bracts and receptacular scales puberulent internally, acuminate.
Flowers: Pale yellow.
Involucel: Quadrangular, shortly hairy and striate, slightly recurved; the 4 main teeth ~2 mm long (i.e. ~⅙ of the involucel body), 4 intermediate teeth shorter.
Phenology: Flowers from May to August.
Habitat & elevation: Rocky limestone slopes in montane Lebanon.
Lebanese distribution: Mm. Faraya, below Neba‘ el-Laban (type locality).
Native range: Endemic to Lebanon