Carthamus lanatus, L.

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

7. C. lanatus L. , Sp. Pl. 830 (1753)

( Kentrophyllum lanatum (L.) DC. ).

Glandular annual, with more or less lanate-villous arachnoid indumentum. Leaves pinnatifid or pinnatisect, spinose-dentate. Capitula ovoid. Inner involucral bracts oblonglanceolate, with small, often inconspicuous, ovate-lanceolate, scarious, dentate to subentire apical appendages. Corolla yellow, rarely whitish. Pappus of narrow, acute, ciliate scales. S. Europe, extending locally northwards to N.C. France and S.E. Czechoslovakia. Al BI Bu Co Cr Cz Ga Gr He Hs Hu It Ju Lu Rm Rs (W, K,?E) Sa Si Tu.

A complex containing allopolyploid taxa which are treated here as subspecies because morphological intermediates occur in areas of contact and hybridization seems to occur.