HELICHRYSUM CONGLOBATUM

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE/Sect. HELICHRYSUM/H. STOECHAS

Group

Common Names:- Golden cassidony

Homotypic Synonyms:- Helichrysum stoechas subsp. barrelieri.

Meaning:- Helichrysum (Gr) Golden-sun.

Conglobatum (L) Massed into a ball.

General description:- Dwarf shrubs.

Stems:-

1) (5-)10-50(-100) cm.

Leaves:-

1) Usually less than 20 mm, usually broadly linear to spathulate, tomentose or

lanate sometimes glabrescent above, rarely also beneath. Not or scarcely

aromatic.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, 1·5-3(-6) cm across;

2) Involucre, 4-6 mm diam., globose to broadly ovoid.

3) Bracts, laxly imbricate, eglandular or nearly so.

a) outer, shortest and widest, scarious, glabrous or somewhat lanate at the

base

b) middle, narrower and coriaceous in the lower half, abruptly widened and

scarious above.

c) inner, narrowest, rarely more than twice as long as the acute outer bracts.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, with numerous shining white glands.

Key features:-

1) Involucre, ovoid to globose before fully flowering (anthesis).

2) Bracts, rather laxly imbricate, the outer entirely scarious.

3) Leaves usually less than 25 mm, linear to narrowly spathulate.

4) Not or scarcely aromatic.

Habitat:- Rocky places in open, deciduous or coniferous forest, generally on non-

calcareous substrates. 250-1500 m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- End of May to early Sept.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton