Family |
Asteraceae
Reichardia dichotoma
(DC.) Freyn
Reichardia dichotoma (Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex DC.) Freyn
First published in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 42: 267 (1892).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, pp. 534–535; 1983)
Description
Life-form & habit: Glaucous perennial, 30–100 cm tall, with a scaly crown and a thick, striated, branched stem. Upright, elongated, rush-like branches fork repeatedly and end in single flower heads.
Leaves: Basal leaves form a rosette, broadly linear-spatulate, slightly tapered towards a stalkless base and sinuate-lobed, with wavy, crinkled, densely spinulose margins. Stem leaves greatly reduced, heart-shaped and clasping.
Inflorescence & flowers: Heads 12–20 mm across on long stalks that eventually thicken at the top. Involucral bracts herbaceous, narrowly edged with white and increasing in size from the base.
Fruit: Elongated, four-angled achenes with four grooves and tuberculate-toothed ribs; the innermost achenes are smooth.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: May–August.
Habitat & elevation: Scrub and grassy places, especially at higher elevations.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Ehden, Sir ed Denniye, the Cedars of Hadeth, Hadeth, Bcharre, Maar Serkes, Tannourine, east of Ehmej, Jabal Qamoua, Neba el Assal, Chahtoul, Mejdel and Bchela; also recorded at Sannine.
Syrian distribution: Innguizik and above Bloudane.
Native range: Iran, Lebanon-Syria, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Türkiye.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Mouterde uses Reichardia glauca V.A.Matthews, which Kew treats as a synonym of R. dichotoma. Kew's author citation for R. dichotoma is (Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex DC.) Freyn, rather than the Vahl-based citation appearing in Mouterde.