PALLENIS MARITIMUS
Common Names:- Yellow sea aster
Synonyms:- Asteriscus maritimus, Bubonium maritimum, Buphthalmum
maritimum, Dontospermum maritimum, Nauplius maritimus.
Meaning:- Pallenis (L) Pale, greenish.
Maritimus (L) Of the sea, growing by the sea.
General description:- Short, hairy perennial or subshrub, with spreading. often
mat-forming stems.
Stems:-
1) Rarely more than 20 cm. woody towards the base.much-branched.ascending.
Leaves:-
1) Oblong to oblong-spathulate, grooved, untoothed, petiolate.
Flowers:-
1) Flower-heads, 30-40mm, terminal, surrounded by leafy flower-bracts.
2) Rays, numerous. linear, 3-toothed at the apex.
3) Bracts, outer involucral,c. 1 cm, coriaceous below, with an obtuse, spathulate
apex, equalling or shorter than the ligules.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes, c. 1·5 mm.
2) Pappus 1-1·5 mm.
Habitat:- Coastal habitats.
Distribution:- Western part of the Mediterranean region, S. Portugal; W. & S.
Greece. Previously unrecorded from Crete. Discovered by Giorgos Palimetakis
Flowering time:- End Mar to mid-June.
Photos by:- Giorgos Palimetakis