ONOPORDUM L. - COTTONTHISTLE
Scientific Description:
Stout, spiny, arachnoid biennials, rarely glandular; stems and peduncles usually prickly-winged throughout. Leaves armed, simple, pinnatilobed, pinnatifid or pinnatisect, basal leaves mostly larger than cauline ones. Capitula solitary to corymbose. Involucre hemispherical to globose; phyllaries pluriseriate, imbricate, ± lanceolate, coriaceous and spine-tipped, outer ones sometimes triangular, erect to recurved, adpressed to lax. Receptacle with deep, denticulately fringed pits. Flowers tubular, hermaphrodite, limb oblique with linear lobes, usually lilac to purplish. Achenes tetragonal, laterally compressed, rugulose; pappus hairs in several series, scabrous, barbellate or plumose, connate into a ring at base, finally deciduous.
Reference:
Danin A (1975). Onopordum L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 5: 356.
Public Description:
Onopordum is a genus of biennial herbs, known as “cottonthistle”, and is native to Southern Europe, Northern Africa, the Canary Islands, the Caucasus, and South-West and central Asia. There are approximately 46 species in the world and 21 species (22 taxa) in Türkiye. They have pinkish-purple disc flowers.
References:
Anonymous 1 (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onopordum/, Accessed date: 21.01.2016.
Anonymous 2 (2016). https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/genus/onopordum/, Accessed date: 21.01.2016.
Anonymous 3 (2016). http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Compositae/Onopordum//, Accessed date: 21.01.2016.
Özebek U M (2012). Onopordum L. In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 184–185.
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