Family |
Asteraceae
Notobasis syriaca
(L.) Cass.
Notobasis syriaca (L.) Cass.
First published in G.-F.Cuvier, Dict. Sci. Nat., ed. 2. 25: 225 (1822).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, pp. 457–458, Pl. CCLXV, 2; 1983)
Description
Life-form & habit: Spiny annual herb with an erect, usually simple stem, 30–100 cm tall.
Leaves: Oblong, usually sinuately lobed and toothed, with short spiny lobes; occasionally nearly entire. Upper surface hairless with conspicuous white veins, underside hairy. Basal leaves stalked; stem leaves clasping. The uppermost leaves surrounding the heads are largely reduced to a midrib and spines.
Inflorescence & flowers: Ovate flower heads that may exceed 1 cm in diameter, surrounded by spine-tipped involucral bracts. Marginal flowers sterile, the inner flowers bisexual.
Fruit: Smooth, compressed, obliquely ovate achenes with a feathery pappus in several rows, united at the base into a deciduous ring.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering April–June.
Habitat & elevation: Roadsides and waste ground; common in the Mediterranean zone.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Saida, Nahr Damour, Beirut, Tripoli, Abey, Jamhour, Mazraat ech Chaar, Antoura, Zahle, Jabal Barouk, Marjayyoun, Rachaya, Deir Ziraaya and Kfertay.
Syrian distribution: Latakia, Ghouta, Karabo, Homs, Hama, Afrine, Zebdani and Sanamein.
Native range: Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt, France, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Oman, Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Sinai, Spain, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe.
Introduced into: Austria, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Victoria.