VALERIANELLA VESICARIA

Family and Genus:- See- VALERIANACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Valerianella (L) Diminutve of Valeriana.

Vesicaria (L) Bladder-like.

General description:- Low to short, minutely hairy annual.

Stem:-

1) 5-15 cm tall, often several-stemmed, each stem with 1 or 2 dichotomies,

retrorse-puberulent in the lower part.

Leaves:-

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

2) Lower cauline, oblanceolate, ± dentate.

3) Upper cauline, often divided into linear-oblong lobes.

Flowers:-

1) In dense, spherical, terminal capitula.

2) Inner bracts, ± scarious, ciliate.

3) Fruiting calyx, soon inflated to become a vesicle-like, hollow sphere; 5 mm in

reticulate-veined and often purplish.

Key features:-

1) All bracts broadly lanceolate, ovate or cordate, acute or acuminate, with wide

scarious margins, mostly with long, dense cilia.

2) Calyx inflated, depressed-ovoid, contracted at the mouth.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Fields, margins of cultivation, rocky and stony habitats, olive groves,

sandy places. (0 - 700(1200) m.

Distribution:- From Sardinia, Italy and Sicily eastwards, including Crete and

Cyprus. Widespread on Crete but more so to the east.

Flowering time:- Apr-May.

Photos by:- Dr. Armin Jagel