Launaea fragilis
Launaea fragilis (Asso) Pau
Launaea fragilis is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae family, native to regions across North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of southern Europe and Asia. It typically grows 10-40 cm tall, with a tough, lignified taproot and variable leaf morphology. The plant produces yellow, purple-tinged flowers in heads of 20-60, with dimorphic achenes and a white pappus.
Description
Launaea fragilis is a perennial herb with a height range of (5)-10-40-(60) cm. It has a tough, lignified taproot and flowering stems that are sulcate and may be unbranched or branched. Leaves are highly variable, with rosette leaves linear to narrowly obovate and irregularly pinnatifid or dentate. Cauline leaves are pinnatifid or entire, with upper leaves becoming reduced to scales. The peduncle is 0.5-9.0 cm long. Flower heads contain 20-60 yellow, purple-tinged ligulate flowers. Involucral bracts are glaucous or purplish, with a campanulate involucre. Achenes are dimorphic, 3.9-8.2 mm long, 4-horned, and truncate, with a white pappus. The species is distributed across Morocco, Malta, Sicily, Libya, Spain, Algeria, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Sinai, Tunisia, Egypt, France, the Gulf States, India, Lebanon-Syria, Mauritania, Oman, Pakistan, and Palestine.
Distribution
Morocco · Malta · Sicilia · Libya · Spain · Algeria · Cyprus · Israel · Lebanon · Sinai · Tunisia · Egypt · FR · Gulf States · India · Lebanon-Syria · Mauritania · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Saudi Arabia · Yemen
Synonyms
Launaea longilohaLactuca fragilisLaunaea resedifolia var. dichotomaLaunaea resedifolia var. setaceaLaunaea chondrilloides
