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Rhaponticum scariosum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhaponticum scariosum
Flower of Rhaponticum scariosum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Rhaponticum
Species:
R. scariosum
Binomial name
Rhaponticum scariosum

Rhaponticum scariosum, common name giant scabiosa,[citation needed] is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant of the genus Rhaponticum of the family Asteraceae.

Description

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The biological form of Rhaponticum scariosum is hemicryptophyte scapose,[1] as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves.

Rhaponticum scariosum reaches on average 30–150 centimetres (12–59 in) in height.[1] The strong, thick, upright stem is leafy and hairy, woolly-tomentose and usually has only one inflorescence. The leaves are green, while its underside is white-tomentose,[1] with irregularly toothed edges. The basal leaves are heart-shaped and petiolated, about 30–40 centimetres (12–16 in) long, the upper leaves are smaller, lanceolate, about 10–22 centimetres (3.9–8.7 in) long.[1] The flower heads are pink to purple, spherical and very large (about 6–7 centimetres (2.4–2.8 in) in diameter).[1] The bracts are brownish and scarious. The flowering period extends from June to August.The flowers are hermaphroditic and are pollinated by insects. The fruits are brown achenes.

Distribution

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This quite rare plant occurs in Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.

Habitat

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It grows in sub-alpine and alpine meadows, stony slopes and thickets. This plant prefers slightly moist and mostly calcareous soils, at altitudes from 750 to 2500 meters.[1]

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Synonyms

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  • Centaurea rhapontica L., Sp. Pl. 2: 915. 1753.
  • Centaurea scariosa (Lam.) Rouy, Fl. France 9: 114. 1905.
  • Leuzea rhapontica (L.) Holub, Folia Geobot. Phytotax. (Praha) 8:392. 1973.
  • Rhapontica rhapontica Hill, Hort. Kew. 69. 1768, nom. illeg.
  • Rhaponticum rhaponticum (L.) Voss, Vilm. Blumengärtn., ed. 3. 1: 554. 1894, nom. illeg.
  • Serratula rhapontica (L.) DC., Fl. Franc. (Candolle & Lamarck), ed. 3. 4: 87. 1805.
  • Stemmacantha rhapontica (L.) Dittrich, Candollea 39(1): 49. 1984.
  • Rhaponticum scariosum subsp. lamarckii (Dittrich) Greuter, Willdenowia 33(1): 61. 2003.
  • Stemmacantha rhapontica subsp. lamarckii Dittrich, Candollea 39: 49. 1984, nom. illeg.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. III, pag. 173
  2. ^ Synonyms in Compositae
  3. ^ Synonyms in Wikispecies
  • Josef Holub - Contribution to the taxonomy and nomenclature of Leuzea DC. and Rhaponticum auct - Folia Geobotanica - Vol. 1 / 1966 - Vol. 46 / 2011
  • Leuzea rhapontica
  • Hidalgo, O & al. 2006. Phylogeny of Rhaponticum (Asteraceae, Cardueae–Centaureinae) and Related Genera Inferred from Nuclear and Chloroplast DNA Sequence Data
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