INULA PSEUDOLIMONELLA

Family:- COMPOSITAE/I. CANDIDA Group

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Inula candida subsp.decalvans, Inula limonifolia.

Meaning:- Inula (L) A name used by the Roman naturalist and natural philosopher

Pliny.

Pseudolimonella. Meaning unclear.

General description:- Perennial, whitish-silvery shrub.

Stems:- 10 cm, slender, simple or with few short branches in the upper 1/3. The

covering of hairs (indumentum) close to the stem, dense, short, white, silky, and

matted (appressed-sericeous-tomentose).

Leaves:- Simple, alternate. Basal leaves 1·5-3·5 cm ovate to lance-shaped,

covering of very dense, white hairs.

Flowers:- Capitula medium-sized with yellowish florets, very tiny, difficult to be

observed, usually supported or enfold by several bracts. Involucre 8-9 mm, bracts

recurved, usually with an elongate apex.

Fruit:- Achenes c. 2 mm, hairy; angled, not abruptly contracted below the pappus.

Pappus about twice as long as the achene, with 10-15 simple, free stiff hairs

(setae).

Key features:-

1) Outer involucral bracts more than ½ as long as inner.

2) Most capitula subtended by 2 or more bracts.

3) Stem and leaves more or less densely appressed-sericeous-tomentose.

4) Leaves entire.

5) Involucral bracts recurved near the usually elongate apex.

6) Involucre 8-9(-11) mm.

7) Indumentum very dense.

8) Basal leaves 3-9 cm.

Habitat:- Calcareous cliffs. 0-1000(-1400)m.

Distribution:- Endemic to the Dikti and Afendis Kavousi massifs, E. Crete. Rare.

Flowering time:- May-July.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

FAMILY AND GENUS DESCRIPTIONS

COMPOSITAE

General description:- Herbs or shrubs.

Leaves:- Alternate, opposite or arranged in a rosette (rosulate), exstipulate.

Flowers:- Small (florets), hermaphrodite, functionally male, female, or sterile, in

terminal or axillary, usually stalked (pedunculate) capitula, surrounded by an

involucre of bracts. Capitula solitary or in corymbose, less frequently racemose,

inflorescences. Calyx-limb (pappus) absent or represented by a corona, auricle,

scales, stiff hairs (setae) or simple or softly feathered (plumose) hairs. Corolla of 3

main types: (a) tubular, with (3-)4- to 5-lobed limb, actinomorphic or rarely weakly

zygomorphic; (b) tubular, with a 2-lipped limb; (c) ligulate, with a short tube and the

limb prolonged on one side into a usually 3- or 5-toothed ligule; female florets

sometimes without a corolla or with a thread-like (filiform) corolla. Stamens 5,

united with the petals (epipetalous); anthers usually united (connate) into a tube

round the style, often abruptly ending in a long tail-like or appendage tip (caudate)

or arrowhead-shaped (sagittate) at base and with apical appendages. Ovary inferior,

single-celled (1-locular); ovule solitary, basal, bent parallel to its stalk so the

micropyle is close to the point of funiculus attachment (anatropous); style solitary,

with 2 stigmatic branches.

Fruit:- A cypsela (achene).

The length of the involucre is measured from the base of the capitulum. Pappus-

hairs are described as plumose when the length of the branches is at least 3 times

the diameter of the main hair but much shorter than it.

INULA

General description:- Perennial, rarely biennial herbs or small shrubs.

Leaves:- Simple, alternate.

Flowers:- Capitula solitary or in a corymbose or paniculate inflorescence.

Involucral bracts imbricate, in many rows. Receptacle flat or slightly convex,

without scales. Florets yellow, the outer ligulate, female, the ligule often very short.

Tubular florets hermaphrodite.

Fruit:- Achenes angled, not abruptly contracted below the pappus. Pappus-hairs

simple, free.

1) Pappus-hairs ± equal, free at base.

2) Achene not contracted at apex

I. CANDIDA Group

General description:- Usually densely white-tomentose or -lanate perennials.

Leaves:- Lower lanceolate to orbicular-ovate, the upper more or less wedge-shaped

(cuneate) at base.

Flowers:- Capitula medium; involucre hemispherical to almost cylindrical. Ligules

shorter than or slightly exceeding the involucre.

Fruit:- Achenes c. 2 mm, hairy; pappus about twice as long as achene, with 10-15

setae.

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species):-Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997.

Protection status (for threatened species):- Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.