GLEBIONIS SEGETUM

Family:- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Corn marigold

Synonyms:- For a full list of Homotypic Synonyms click here.

Meaning:- Glebionis. Meaning unknown.

Segetum (L) Of cornfields, growing amongst crops.

General description:- Short to tall, greyish, hairless annual, somewhat fleshy.

Stems:-

1) 20-60(-80) cm, simple or branched.

Leaves:-

1) Oblong to obovate-oblong.glaucous.

2) Lower and middle cauline deeply incise-dentate.

3) Upper subentire, somewhat amplexicaul.

Flowers:-

1) Uniformly golden yellow, joined together in a capitula from 30 to 60 mm diam.

2) Involucre 13-20 mm in diam.

3) Outer bracts ovate, obtuse, yellowish-green, with pale brown

marginal band, the apex scarious.

4) Inner bracts similar but widened at the appendage.

5) Florets yellow.

6) Pedicel thickened under the flower-head.

1) Achenes:

a) achenes 10-ribbed.

b) outer achenes with 2 lateral wings; lateral faces with 1-2 ribs;

adaxial face with 3 prominent, whitish ribs.

Key features:-

1) Leaves Broadly oblanceolate, serrate to 1-pinnastisect, glaucous.

2) Achenes of ligulate florets without an adaxial wing.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy coastal habitats, cereal fields, olive groves, roadsides,

occasionally open dry shrubby vegetation, 0-500(-900) m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean area and W

& C Europe. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton