CARLINA LANATA

Family:- COMPOSITAE/Subgen. CARLINA

Common Names:- Woolly carline-thistle, purple carline-thistle.

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Carlina (L) For Charlemagne (742-814) Emperor of Rome (whose army

was supposed to have been cured of the plague with a species of Carlina, which the

Archangel had revealed to him).

Lanata (L) Woolly.

General description:- Low to short, partly hairy annual.

Stem:-

1) 5-40 cm, simple or with the main stem ceasing to elongate but growth being

continued by the lateral branches.

Leaves:-

1) Up to 7·5 x 2·5 cm, oblong, pinnatifid, spinose-undulate, persistently tomentose

beneath, more or less glabrescent above.

2) Basal, ± withered at anthesis.

3) Cauline, sessile, oblong-lanceolate, spiny-dentate, coriaceous.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, up to 40 mm diam, but often much smaller.

2) Outer involucral bracts, 25-40 x 15-20 mm, exceeding the inner.

3) Inner bracts c. 12 x 1·5 mm, reddish-purple on both surfaces.

4) Florets purplish-pink.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes 3-4 mm, sericeous.

2) Pappus 12-15 mm.

Key features:-

1) Leaves arachnoid-tomentose to glabrescent

2) Outer involucral bracts 10-12 mm wide (including spines).

3) Inner involucral bracts reddish-purple above for most of their length.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Stony coastal habitats, dry grassland, open dry shrubby vegetation, field

margins, also on small islets. 0-400(-700) m.

Distribution:- Widespread across the Mediterranean region. Widespread on Crete

but more common in the west.

Flowering time:- May to early Aug.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis