Knautia drymeia, Heuffel

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 : 62

1. K. drymeia Heuffel , Flora (JRegensb.') 39: 53 (1856)

( Scabiosa sylvatica L. ).

Perennial; stock usually monopodial, with terminal leaf-rosette and lateral flowering stems. Stem 30-100 cm, the base with soft greyish hairs or sometimes rigid yellowish setae, rarely subglabrous; peduncles glandular or eglandular. Leaves membranous, rather evenly distributed along the stem, undivided, crenate-serrate; lower cauline lanceolate to suborbicular, acute, petiolate; upper cauline more or less cordate, subacuminate, sessile. Capitula l-5-3(-4)cm in diameter. Calyx patelliform, 8- to 16-awned. Corolla purple to pink. Wood-margins. • C. & S.E. Europe, N. Italy. Al Au Bu Cz Ge Gr He Hu It Ju Rm.

Hybrids are common between tetraploids of 1(d) and 29 (K. x ramosissima Szabó ) and often form extensive swarms, even in the absence of the parents. Furthermore, 1(e) is connected through 24 to 23. 1 Rosette-leaves (and usually base of stem) with rigid, yellowish setae; cauline leaves oblong to elliptic-lanceolate; stems usually less than 50 cm, sparingly branched

(e) subsp. intermedia 1 Rosette-leaves and stems with soft, short, white or greyish hairs; cauline leaves usually suborbicular to ovate; stems more than 50 cm, usually with many branches

2 Stems densely hairy; cauline leaves bright green above, greyish-pubescent to subvillous beneath

3 Cauline leaves broadly ovate, deeply crenate-serrate

(a) subsp. nympharum 3 Cauline leaves ovate-lanceolate, crenate-serrate

(c) subsp. centrifrons 2 Stems sparsely hairy; cauline leaves dark green above, subpubescent to glabrous beneath 4 Cauline leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, crenate-serrate

(d) subsp. drymeia 4 Cauline leaves broadly ovate to suborbicular, deeply crenate-serrate (b) subsp. tergestina