ANTHEMIS AMMANTHUS subsp. PALEACEA

Which differs in little more than the absence or presence of receptacular scales, a
character previously considered important enough to distinguish genera, but in this
case maybe having a simple genetic background.1)

1) Arne Strid "Atlas of the Aegean Flora". Book 1 2016

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Paleacea (L) “Chaff-like” or “bearing paleae” which are bracts, referring
to the dense bracts surrounding the inflorescences.

Resembling Anthemis ammanthus subsp, ammanthus, but differering in the
following characters:
1) Receptacle with hyaline, spathulate-lanceolate, acute, long-hairy scales.   
2) Achenes more or less persistent.

Habitat:- As for Anthemis ammanthus subsp, ammanthus.

Distribution:- Endemic to the E. coast of Crete.

Flowering time:- April-June

Photos:- None currently available.
ANTHEMIS AMMANTHUS subsp. AMMANTHUS
Including:-
Anthemis ammanthus subsp. paleacea
Anthemis tomentella

Family:- COMPOSITAE/Subgen. Ammanthus

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Ammanthus maritimus

Meaning:- Anthemis (Gr) Flowery.
                  Ammanthus Meaning unknown.

General description:- Diffuse, appressed-hairy to glabrescent annual.

Stems:-
1) 1·5-24(-36) cm, usually numerous, radiating from the axils of the basal leaves, 
    decumbent, more or less branched, rather slender, rigid.

Leaves:-
1) Fleshy.
2) Basal, and lower cauline up to 2·5 × 0·8 cm, long-petiolate, pinnatipartite.
3) Others shortly petiolate to sessile, obovate- or ovate- to linear-spathulate,
    and 3- to 7-lobed to entire.
4) Lobes, usually obtuse, with or without a very short mucro.

Flowers:-
1) Capitula, 4-7(-12) mm in diam.
2) Peduncles, not clavate.
3) Involucre, obconical to hemispherical.
4) Bracts, oblong, with sometimes pink, scarious margin and apex.
5) Receptacle, low, convex, without scales.
6) Ligules, absent.
7) Florets, at first yellow, finally purplish, with the lower half of tube cylindrical,
    swollen and spongy.
8) Corona, 0·3-0·5 mm, hyaline, more or less erose-lacerate.

Fruit:-
1) Achenes. c. 1·75 mm, caducous, obconical-turbinate, distinctly 10-ribbed;

Key features:-
1) Receptacle without scales.
2) Leaves fleshy, the lobes obtuse; achenes all similar, obconical turbinate,
distinctly ribbed, caduceus.
3) Achenes not compressed, orbicular or subquadrate in transverse section;
receptacular scales not or scarcely rigid leaf-segments not pectinately divided.
4) Annual, rarely a slender biennial, without non-flowering shoots; peduncles
sometimes clavate in fruit.

Habitat:- Limestone cliffs, rocky slopes and windswept coastal, dry open shrubby
vegetation, occasionally up to 300 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to the Cretan area and small SE Aegean islands.

Flowering time:- April-June

Photos by:- Nikos Marakis
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
ANTHEMIS TOMENTELLA

Synonyms:- None

Meaning;- Tomentella (L) Thickly matted with hairs.

Resembling Anthemis ammanthus, but differering in the following characters
1) Receptacle, with linear, setaceous, glabrous, scales.
2) Achenes, longer, verrucose.
3) Auricle, thicker.

Habitat:- As for A. ammanthus.

Distribution:- Extending further inland than other members of the A. ammanthus
complex.

Flowering time:- April-June

Photos:- None currently available
 
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