Centaurea spruneri, Boiss. & Heldr.

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 : 267

48. C. spruneri Boiss. & Heldr. in Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Or. Nov. 1(6): 132 (1846).

Stems 10-50 cm, erect, branched above. Leaves scabrid, arachnoid-lanate; basal interruptedly lyrate-pinnatifid or pinnatifid, rarely undivided; upper entire. Involucre 15-40 mm in diameter, ovoid to globose; bracts glabrous; appendages semilunate, yellowish-brown, the apical spine erecto-patent. Florets pink to purple, the outer longer than the inner. Achenes c. 3 mm, puberulent; pappus 3 times as long as achene. Cultivated and waste ground and dry hillsides. • 5. Albania, S. & W. Greece, S. Aegean region. Al Cr Gr. 1 Leaves pinnatifid with narrowly lanceolate, entire segments (d) subsp. lineariloba 1 Leaves lyrate-pinnatifid with oblong to suborbicular segments 2 Stems not more than 20 cm; at least some basal leaves undivided (b) subsp. minoa 2 Stems 20-50 cm; basal leaves all divided 3 Involucre 30-35(-40) mm in diameter, globose (a) subsp. spruneri 3 Involucre 15-20 mm in diameter, ovoid (c) subsp. guicciardii