| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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Jepson Interchange (more information) |
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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 to perennial herb
Stems erect
Leaves alternate, reduced upward, decurrent as spiny wings, spiny-dentate and pinnately lobed, glabrous to tomentose; basal tapered to winged petiole; cauline sessile
Inflorescence: heads discoid, 1–20 at branch tips; involucre cylindric to spheric; phyllaries overlapping in several series, spine-tipped; receptacle flat, whitish bristly
Flowers: corollas white to pink or purple, tube long, slender, throat abrupt, short, lobes linear; anther bases short-sagittate, tips oblong; style with slightly swollen node, cylindrical above node, branches very short
Fruit ovoid, slightly compressed, glabrous; base slightly angled; pappus of many flat, minutely barbed, persistent bristles
Species in genus: ± 90 species: Eurasia, e Africa
Etymology: (Latin: ancient name)
Reference: [Howell 1959 Leaflets W Bot 9:17–29]
| Introduced |
Annual or biennial
Stems 2–20 dm, glabrous or slightly woolly, narrowly spine-winged
Leaves: basal 10–15 cm, 4–10-lobed; cauline ± tomentose
Inflorescence: heads 2–5 per cluster, sessile or short-peduncled; involucre 1–2 cm diam, cylindric to elliptic; phyllary bases loosely tomentose, margin not scarious, tips ascending, linear-lanceolate, spiny, scabrous
Flowers: corollas 10–14 mm, pink to purple; tube 5–8 mm, throat 2–3 mm, lobes 4–5 mm
Fruit 4–6 mm, golden to brown; veins 20; pappus 10–15 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=62–64
Ecology: Roadsides, pastures, waste areas
Elevation: < 1000 m.
Bioregional distribution: s North Coast, s North Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada Foothills, Central Western California
Distribution outside California: native to Mediterranean