Carduncellus Adanson

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 303

144. Carduncellus Adanson 1

Perennial herbs, usually spiny, acaulescent or with simple or rarely somewhat branched stems, more or less lanate to arachnoid-hairy. Basal leaves usually pinnate to lyrate, the cauline usually sinuate to dentate, the teeth often spinose. Involucral bracts in many rows, imbricate, usually spiny, the outer more or less leaflike, the inner with semicircular to ovate, lacerate to fimbriate appendages. Florets hermaphrodite; corolla usually blue or purple; filaments bearded. Achenes more or less 4-angled, usually rugose to sulcate at least towards the apex, glabrous; pappus of many rows of narrow ciliate scales to plumose setae, which are usually connate at the base and deciduous.

All species grow in dry, open habitats and are calcicole.

Literature: S. Rivas Goday & S. Rivas Martinez, Anal. Inst. Bot. Cavanilles 25: 188-197 (1967). 1 Acaulescent or with stems not more than 20 cm; cauline leaves not more than 6; pappus (3—)4— 6 times as long as the achene 2 Leaves entire or setulose-dentate; involucral bracts setulosedentate; achenes smooth; pappus c. 6 times as long as the achene 2. mitissimus 2 Leaves and involucral bracts spinose-dentate; achenes rugose at least towards the apex; pappus c. 4 times as long as the achene 3 Leaves with 6-9 pairs of linear- to oblong-lanceolate pinnae or lobes; outer involucral bracts patent, as long as or long­

er than the inner; achenes rugose towards the apex;

pappus white 1. monspelliensium 3 Leaves with (8—)11—13 pairs of ovate to lanceolate-ovate pinnae; outer involucral bracts appressed, as long as or shorter than the inner; achenes rugose all over; pappus reddish-brown 3. pinnatus 1 Stems usually more than 20 cm; cauline leaves 10 or more;

pappus usually not more than twice as long as the achene 4 Leaves entire or denticulate; outer involucral bracts shorter than the inner; corolla yellowish 4. dianius 4 Leaves spinose-dentate; outer involucral bracts as long as or longer than the inner; corolla blue 5 Stem (10-)15-30(-45) cm, with greyish-white, subtomentose to densely arachnoid indumentum; spines yellowish;

pappus-setae plumose, connate at base, deciduous

5. araneosus 5 Stem (15-)30-60 cm, with ± lanate-arachnoid indumentum,

sometimes glabrescent; spines whitish; pappus-scales ciliate, free, persistent 6. caeruleus