SENECIO FRUTICULOSUS

Family:- COMPOSITAE/Sect. JACOBAEA

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Senecio (L) Old-man, a name used by the Roman naturalist and

philosopher Pliny, reference to the grey hairiness as soon as fruiting starts.

Fruticulosus (L) Dwarf-shrubby

General description:- A small, longer-lived perennial with glabrous stems and

woody stock.

Stem:-

1) 10-40 cm, numerous, erect, branching.

Leaves:-

1) Undivided, glabrous, obovoid-oblong, margins denticulate to coarsely serrate,

2-7 mm long.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula 15-25 mm diam., few to numerous in a lax, irregular corymb.

2) Involucre 6-8 mm, campanulate; phyllaries lanceolate, black-tipped,

supplementary phyllaries similar but much smaller.

3) Ray florets c. 13, 5-7 mm, bright yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes 2-3 mm, subglabrous.

Key features:-

1) Leaves denticulate to coarsely serrate but not divided.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Limestone screes, rocky slopes and dolines. (1000-)1500-2400 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to the Lefka Ori, Psiloritis and Dikti massifs.

Flowering time:- May-July, occassionally later in shady places.

Photo by:- Philippa Dean

Status:-

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