Pallenis spinosa
Encyclopedia
Pallenis spinosa, common names: Spiny Starwort or Spiny Golden Star, is an annual
herbaceous
plant belonging to the genus Pallenis
of the Asteraceae
family. The Latin name of the genus is derived from palea (chaff), referring to the chaffy receptacle, while the species name spinosa, meaning spiny, refers to the spiny bracts surrounding the flowers.
grows at the top of the branches. The large, slightly convex receptacle shows numerous, yellowish orange, hermaphrodite disc florets and two whorls of yellow ray florets. The long, villous, involucral bract
s end in an apical sharp-pointed spine.The flowering period extends from May through July. Fruits are achene
s of about 2-2,5 millimeters of length.
of Southern Europe, North Africa, the Canary Islands and the Middle East.
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
plant belonging to the genus Pallenis
Pallenis
Pallenis is a small genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family . The type species is Pallenis spinosa. The name is derived from palea , referring to the chaffy receptacle....
of the Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
family. The Latin name of the genus is derived from palea (chaff), referring to the chaffy receptacle, while the species name spinosa, meaning spiny, refers to the spiny bracts surrounding the flowers.
Description
Pallenis spinosa reaches on average 60 centimetres (23.6 in) of height. Leaves are alternate, lanceolate or elliptical. The basal ones have short petioles, while the cauline ones are sessile or semiamplexicaul. A solitary inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
grows at the top of the branches. The large, slightly convex receptacle shows numerous, yellowish orange, hermaphrodite disc florets and two whorls of yellow ray florets. The long, villous, involucral bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s end in an apical sharp-pointed spine.The flowering period extends from May through July. Fruits are achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
s of about 2-2,5 millimeters of length.
Gallery
Distribution
This plant occurs in desert and coastal habitatsHabitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
of Southern Europe, North Africa, the Canary Islands and the Middle East.