CREPIS DIOSCORIDIS

Family:- COMPOSITAE/Sect. ZACINTHA

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Crepidium dioscoridis, Endoptera dioscoridis, Gatyona

dioscoridis, Pterotheca dioscoridis.

Meaning:- Crepis (Gr) A name used by Greek philosopher Theophrastus.

Dioscoridis (L) For Dioscorides Pedanios of Anazarbeus, Greek

military physician.

General description:- Annual or biennial.

Stems:-

1) 10-60 cm, usually branched.

Leaves:-

1) Glabrous or with sparse, eglandular hairs.

2) Basal, 4-15 x 1-3 cm, lanceolate to oblanceolate, acute to obtuse, denticulate to

pinnatifid, with 6-8 wide triangular lateral segments.

3) Cauline mostly sessile, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, denticulate, amplexicaul

with acute auricles.

Flowers:-

1) Involucre 8-12 x 5-9 mm.

2) Bracts, linear to lanceolate acute, with glandular and sometimes eglandular

hairs, the outer 1/3-2/3 as long as the inner.

3) Florets, 11-18 mm.

4) Ligules yellow, reddish-purple on the outer face.

5) Receptacle with ciliate pits.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, 3·5-5·5 mm, fusiform, curved, usually of 2 kinds:

a) marginal, greenish-yellow or whitish, with 2 lateral wings and usually 4- to 10-

ribbed.ribbed.

b) inner, greenish-yellow or reddish-brown, with smooth or spinulose ribs; rarely

all achenes unwinged.

Key features:-

1) Receptacle with ciliate pits.

2) Achenes 3·5-5 x 0·5-2 mm, 4- to 10-ribbed. the marginal mostly broadly winged.

3) Ligules yellow, usually with reddish stripe on outer face.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry pastures, olive groves, roadsides, stone cliffs. 0-600(-1000) m.

Distribution:- Fairly common in Peloponnisos, C & W mainland Greece and Ionian

Islands. - W Balkan Peninsula and Aegean region, just extending to SW Anatolia.

Somewhat limited distribution on Crete, mainly north of the C and C western

regions.

Flowering time:- Apr to mid-July.

Photos by:- Zacharias Angourakis