Biology:Mantisalca

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Short description: Genus of flowering plants

Mantisalca
Mantisalca salmantica1.jpg
A dagger flower, Mantisalca salmantica, in Albatera Alicante, Spain.
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Carduoideae
Tribe: Cardueae
Subtribe: Centaureinae
Genus: Mantisalca
Cass.[1][2]
Type species
Mantisalca salmantica
(L.) Briq. & Cavill.
Synonyms[1]
  • Centaurea subgenus Mantisalca Cass.

Mantisalca is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae.[3][4]

Description

Annual or biennial herbs growing between 50 cm to 1.3 metres in size.[5][6] Herbage is not spiny.[6]

Morphology

The stems are erect, strongly branched, longitudinal parallel lines (striate) with wings on stem absent.[5]

Leaves grow around the base (basal) and along the stem (cauline).[6] Leaves are without spines. Basal leaves dissected to the midrib with the leave segments merging (confluent) at the midrib (pinnatisect).[5] Stem leaves sparse, much reduced, very narrow in length with parallel sides (linear) and toothed, with the teeth pointing towards the leaf tip (serrate).[5]

Flower heads are solitary with ray-florets absent and receptacle scales present.[7] Involcural bracts are ovoid to spheric in shape, 10 to 15 mm in diameter.[6] The bracts are in several series, up to eight in number, ending in a short deciduous spines or with a short sharp point (mucronate).[7][6][5]

Distribution and habitat

Mantisalca occurs primarily in northern Africa, southern Europe and Turkey. One species, Mantisalca salmantica, is naturalised in Australia.[5]

Taxonomy

Etymology

Mantisalca is the anagram of the type species epithet salmantica.[6]

Species

Species[8][9][10]
  • Mantisalca amberboides (Caball.) Maire - Morocco
  • Mantisalca cabezudoi E.Ruíz & Devesa
  • Mantisalca delestrii Briq. & Cavill. - Morocco, Algeria
  • Mantisalca duriaei Briq. & Cavill. - France , Spain , Italy
  • Mantisalca salmantica (L.) Briq. & Cavill. - widespread from Britain + Morocco to Palestine
  • Mantisalca spinulosa (Rouy) E.Ruíz & Devesa

Selected hybrids include:

  • Mantisalca × castroviejoi E.Ruíz & Devesa

References

Bibliography

Wikidata ☰ Q2839686 entry