| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1–many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1–many per head
Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, ± small, of several types; calyx 0 or modified into pappus of bristles, scales, or awns, which is generally persistent in fruit; corolla radial or bilateral (rarely 0), lobes generally (0)4–5; stamens 4–5, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, often appendaged at tips, bases, or both, filaments generally free, generally attached to corolla near throat; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, style 1, branches 2, generally hair-tufted at tip, stigmas 2, generally on inside of style branches
Fruit: achene, cylindric to ovoid, generally deciduous with pappus attached
Genera in family: ± 1300 genera, 21,000 species (largest family of dicots): worldwide. Largest family in CA. Also see tribal key to CA genera: Strother 1997 Madroño 44(1):1–28. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.
Annual in CA
Stem generally erect, leafy, branched above or throughout
Leaves alternate, generally pinnately lobed, ± spiny; basal often 0 by flower; cauline generally clasping, generally spreading to recurved, lanceolate to ovate, rigid
Inflorescence: heads discoid, solitary; involucre ± urn-shaped; outer phyllaries ± leaf-like, inner with spiny appendages in CA; receptacle convex to conic, chaffy
Flowers: corolla tube very slender, throat abruptly expanded, lobes linear; filaments generally densely hairy, anther bases short-tailed, tips oblong; style tip with minutely hairy node and terminal segment minutely papillate, barely notched
Fruit oblong to obpyramidal, ± 4-angled, glabrous, attached at side; outer fruits generally ± roughened, pappus generally 0; inner fruits smooth, pappus 0 or of many, narrow, generally unequal scales
Species in genus: 14 species: Medit
Etymology: (Arabic: fruits from flower color)