VALERIANELLA CORONATA

Family and Genus:- See- VALERIANACEAE/V. CORONATA Group

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Valerianella (L) Diminutve of Valeriana.

Coronata (L) Crowned.

General description:- Short annual, usually hairy;

Stem:-

1) (4-)10-25 cm tall, slender, erect, with l1-3(-4) dichotomies.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, spathulate, subentire, often withered in fruiting individuals.

2) Lower and middle cauline, oblong-oblanceolate, coarsely dentate.

Flowers:-

1) Bracts, rather small, narrowly ovate, ± scarious, ciliate.

2) Calyx, campanulate, equalling or somewhat exceeding the fruit, consisting of

6 broadly triangular, subequal, reticulate-veined lobes confluent at the base,

shortly acuminate and hooked at the apex.

a) Calyx cup, interior glabrous, at least as long as the fruit, divided to less than

halfway into 6 triangular-acuminate teeth, uncinate arista at the apex.

Fruit:-

1) c. 2·5 mm, all in dense, globose, terminal clusters which fall as a whole;

2) Sterile loculi, well developed.

Key features:-

1) Sterile loculi, well-developed.

2) Fruit, c. 2·5 mm.

3) Calyx-teeth, with an uncinate arista.

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Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, evergreen and deciduous scrub, open

woodland, dry, pastures, field margins. (0-)200-1000 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Widespread in the Mediterranean region and

SW to C Asia. A somewhat scattered and limited distribution across Crete. Fairly

rare.

Flowering time:- Apr-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton