Family |
Asteraceae
Ptilostemon diacanthus subsp. diacanthus
(Labill.) Greuter
Leb. Syr. Tur.
Ptilostemon diacanthus (Labill.) Greuter subsp. diacanthus
≡ Carduus diacanthus Labill. ≡ Cirsium diacanthus (Labill.) Fisch. ≡ Chamaepeuce diacantha (Labill.) DC.
(First published in Boissiera 13: 146, 1967; Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, p. 458; 1983)
• Life-form & habit: Erect, slender plant, 40–100 cm tall, white-tomentose, more or less branched into a corymb at the summit.
• Leaves: Glabrous above, white-tomentose beneath, lanceolate, semi-amplexicaul, with small spaced teeth often ending in paired spines.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Capitula long-pedunculate, 25–30 mm long, reaching or exceeding 5 cm including the spines of the involucre. Involucre tomentose; bracts ending in a triquetrous spine, the lower reflexed, the middle spreading, the uppermost scarious and purple.
• Fruits: Achenes 4.5–5 mm long.
• Phenology: June–September.
• Habitat & elevation: Fields and pastures.
• Lebanese distribution: ‘Abey, Bikfaya, west of Douma, Mrouj, Bhamdoun, Qrayyé, Col de Togra, Ehden, Cedars, Dimane, Sofar, Jabal Kneissé, ‘Aïn Zehalta, Zahlé, Hazerta, Hermon (Gaillard).
• Syrian distribution: Slenfé, Madaya, Hermon (‘Arné).
• Native range: Lebanon–Syria, Turkey (POWO).
• Introduced into: Germany (POWO).