Calendula arvensis, 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 : 207

4. C. arvensis L. , Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1303 (1763).

Annual (5—)15— 25(-30) cm, often thinly arachnoid-floccose, erect or diffuse, usually much-branched. Leaves (1—)3—8(—10) x 0-4-1 -4(-2) cm, pubescent or thinly fioccose, oblong or narrowly obovate, acute or obtuse, with subentire or obscurely denticulate margins. Capitula l-2(-3-5) cm in diameter. Ligules yellow or orange, usually less than 1 -8 cm, often distinctly exceeding, but not twice as long as involucral bracts. Tubular florets concolorous with ligules or sometimes brown or violet-purple. Capitula in fruit usually with an outer row of incurved, narrowly beaked achenes 1 -3-2 cm, alternating with broadly cymbiform achenes 0-6-1 cm, the beaked achenes occasionally up to 2-5 cm and conspicuous ( var. malacitana (Boiss. & Reuter) Coutinho ) or rarely wholly replaced by cymbiform or annular achenes. 2/2 = 44. Cultivated and waste ground. S. & S.C. Europe; naturalized or casualfurther north. Al Az BI Co Cr Ga Ge Gr He Hs Hu It Ju Lu Rm Rs (W, K) Sa Si Tu [*Bu Po].

A polymorphic species in which the variants are so interconnected that attempts to separate them, at any rank, are unsatisfactory.