SPECIES DESCRIPTION
LOMELOSIA DIVARICATA

Family and Genus:- See- DIPSACACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Scabiosa divaricata.

Meaning:- Lomelosia. Meaning unknown.
                  Divaricata (L) Wide-spreading, straggling.
               
General description:- Shortly pubescent annual, with some long, erect hairs.

Stem:-
1) (10-)20-40 cm, branched.   

Leaves:-
1) Lower, oblong-lanceolate, spathulate, entire or slightly dentate.
2) Upper, lyrate-pinnatisect, with narrowly lanceolate or linear segments.

Flower:-
1) Capitula, 10-15 mm diam, ellipsoid or globose-ellipsoid in fruit.
2) Involucral bracts, 18-24 (-28) mm, narrowly lanceolate, about twice as long as
    the florets.
3) Involucel-tube, 2·5-3·8 mm; pits 1·2-1·6 mm, glabrous.
4) Corona, (1·6-)2-2·5(-2·7) mm, shorter than the tube, square in outline, with (20-)
    23-25 veins, distinctly excurrent for c. 1-1·5 mm.
5) Calyx-setae, 2-4 times as long as the corona.
6) Corolla, of marginal florets 6-8 mm, slightly longer than that of the central,
    reddish.

Key features:-
1) Corona, square in outline, the veins distinctly excurrent.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy and rocky coastal habitats, dry grassland, open deciduous oak
scrub. 0-900 m.

Distribution:- Spain, Sicily, N Africa and the E Mediterranean eastwards, including
Cyprus. Somewhat limited distribution across Crete.

Flowering time:- Apr to June, sometimes later.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis