Carlina L.

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 : 208-209

106. Carlina L. 1

(incl. Lyrolepis Rech. fil. )

Annual to perennial herbs, sometimes woody at the base. Leaves alternate or basal, entire to deeply pinnatisect, usually with spinose-dentate margins. Capitula sessile to shortly pedunculate, solitary or in cymose, often corymbose inflorescences. Receptacle flat, with scales and sometimes also with bristles, the scales divided at the apex, or almost to the base, into linear segments. Involucral bracts in several rows, the outer usually similar to the upper leaves, the inner entire, scarious, shining, rigid, radiating when dry. Florets all hermaphrodite; corolla 5-lobed; anthers caudate. Achenes oblong, hairy; pappus of a ring of plumose hairs, usually united into groups at the base.

Measurements of the diameter of capitula refer to the florets only and exclude the involucral bracts. Measurements of leaves include the spines.

Literature: H. Meusel & A. Kästner, Feddes Repert. 83: 213-232 (1972). H. Meusel & К. Werner, Wiss. Zeitschr. Univ. Halle (Math.-Nat.) 11: 279-292 (1962).

1 Plant entirely without spines (Kriti) 1. diae 1 At least the upper leaves and outer involucral bracts spiny

2 Plant acaulescent, with a single, sessile capitulum

3 Inner involucral bracts silvery-white or pinkish; pappus

c. 13 mm 10. acaulis 3 Inner involucral bracts yellowish; pappus 18-25 mm

11. acanthifolia 2 Plant caulescent, usually with more than 1 capitulum

4 Cushion-plant with much-branched, woody stock and spreading branches (Karpathos) 2. tragacanthifolia 4 Stem erect, scarcely woody, simple or with erecto-patent branches

5 Inner involucral bracts bright yellow or brownish-yellow

6 Annual to short-lived perennial; capitula ±sessile, the terminal greatly overtopped by 1-2 axillary branches which arise immediately below it 13. racemosa 6 Perennial; capitula mostly pedunculate, in a ±corymbose inflorescence

7 Middle cauline internodes 12-15 mm; upper leaves widest at base, amplexicaul 3. corymbosa

7 Middle cauline internodes 4-8 mm; upper leaves widest near the middle or parallel-sided, scarcely amplexicaul

8. fiumensis 5 Inner involucral bracts reddish-purple, pink, white or pale yellow 8 Inner involucral bracts reddish-purple above, at least towards the apex 9 Perennial, not more than 10 cm; leaves glabrescent

5. bamebiana 9 Annual or biennial, up to 40 cm; leaves persistently arachnoid-tomentose, at least beneath

10 Annual; outer involucral bracts 10-12 mm wide (including spines); inner involucral bracts reddishpurple above for most of their length 12.

lanata

10 Biennial; outer involucral bracts 15-20 mm wide (including spines); inner involucral bracts mainly white above, purplish-red only towards the apex

9. macrocephala 8 Inner involucral bracts white, pale pink or pale yellow above (sometimes purplish beneath) 11 Inner involucral bracts at least 30 mm; receptacle bearing stout, davate hairs as well as scales 10. acaulis 11 Inner involucral bracts not more than 20 mm; receptacle without stout, davate hairs

12 Inner involucral bracts white above, white or purplish beneath

13 Perennial; inner involucral bracts 2-5-3 mm wide

4. sicula

13 Biennial; inner involucral bracts 1-5-2 mm wide

9. macrocephala

12 Inner involucral bracts pale yellow or straw-coloured above and beneath

14 Outer involucral bracts 20-25 mm wide, pinnatisect,

greatly exceeding the inner 7. frigida

14 Outer involucral bracts 4-9 mm wide, spinosedentate, shorter than or only slightly exceeding the inner

15 Biennial; leaves spinose-dentate, the spines shorter than the width of the remainder of the leaf

6. vulgaris

15 Perennial; leaves deeply spinose-pinnatifid, the segments longer than the width of the remainder of the leaf 8. fiumensis