Centaurea furfuracea Coss. & Durieu, it is an annual herb, furfuraceous, arachnoid-tomentose with main stem reduced to an almost sessile head; lateral branches prostrate or procurnbtent. sparsely leafy, monocephalic. Leaves not decurrent on the stem. lyrate-pinnatifid, with lobes toothed. Basal leaves tapered below into a thin petiole. Cauline leaves sessile, semiamplexicaule. Capitula non-radiate, pale lemon yellow to whitish-crcam coloured, subtended by 2-3, small, shortly petiolate. spathulat: pinnalifid leaves. Involucres 10-15 x 10-15 mm (exclude, spines): involucral bracts coriaceous, without distinct nerves, with whitish to nearly hyaline, entire or minutely papillate, scarious margins; appendages coriaceous and somewhat corky, usually brownish or reddish at least in the center. Outer most involucral bracts 7-7.5 x 3.25 mm, broadly ovate; appendages reflexed, not decurrent on the margins of the involucral bracts, with 4 spines; spines yellowish; lateral spines 3, up to 1.5 mm long, terminal spine 2.25 mm; bases of the spines and appendages laterally hairy. Involucral bracts of the 2nd row 8-8.25 x 3.5 mm. similar to the preceding, with appendicular spines5; lateral spines 4, 1.75 mm long. terminal spine c. 3 mm long. Involucral bracts of the 3rd row 10-10.5 x 4 mm. ovate; appendages brownish, reflexed, 5 pinnately arranged spines, 2 lateral pairs and one median, the lateral spines up 10 2.5 mm and median spine up to 5 mm. Involucre bracts of the 4th row 11.5-12 x 4 mm, similar to the preceding one, appendages brownish in the center with weakly scarious, ± decurrent margins, strongly reflexed. Involucral bracts of the 5 row 14-15 x 3.5 mm, ovate lanceolate; appendages narrow, brownish in the center with marginal searious. with 6 pinnately arranged spines; lateral spines up to 3 mm, terminal spine up to 4 mm. Involucral bracts of the 6th row 16 x 3 mm, lanceolate; appendages strongly reflexed. with center brownish or reddish. with very thin. hyaline, up 10 0,75 mm wide. decurrent membranous, laterally bearded margins; lateral spines up to2,5 mm, median spine up to4 mm. Involucral bracts of the 7th row 16 x 2 mm, linear or linear-lanceolate; appendages brownish or reddish in the center with very thin, hyaline, c. 1 mm wide, decurrent membranous margin; lateral spinules c. 2 mm, median spinule c. 4 mm. Involucral bract of the 8th row 15 x 2 mm, linear lanceolate; appendages brownish in the center with broad hyaline, very thin infolded, decurrent margin, mucro-spinescent, muero c, 2.25 mm, directed backwards. Involucral bract of the 9th row 13 x 1.5 mm, linear; appendages brownish with wide. hyaline, very thin, decurrent margins, mucronulate at the apices. Inner most involucral bract 12 x 0.5 mm. linear, more or less scarious with very thin, hyaline, spathuliform membranous appendages. Cypsela yellowish, shiny with hilum a line hairy, (hairs caduceus); pappus equal in length to the body of the cypsela.
Leave a Reply