REVISION OF ANACYCLUS 119 



Anacyclus alexandrinus Boiss. in Batt. & Trabut, Fl. Alger. 3 : 452 (1890) sphalm, non Willd. 

 Anacyclus valentinus var. tripolitanus Borzi & Matthei in Boll. Soc. hot. ital. 1913 : 139 (1913). 

 Anacyclus cyrtolepidioides var. mauritanicus (Pomel) Batt. ex Jahandiez & Maire, Cat. PL Maroc 3 : 

 767 (1934). 



Illustration: Gubb, 1913 : tab. 12. 



Common names: Djerf, Sorret el Kebch, Rebiana. 



Peduncles decumbent, emerging from a reduced, branched central stem, slender. Central 

 capitulum absent. 



Collections: 48 collections were examined, predominantly from Tunisia and Algeria. 



3. Anacyclus maroccanus (Ball) Ball 



in /. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 16 : 504 (1878). 



Anacyclus clavatus subsp. maroccanus Ball in /. Bot. Lond. 11 : 365 (1873). Orig. coll.: /. Ball. s.n. 

 (31 May, 1871), ex provincia Shedma juxta Mskala, Insturia, Agadir, Marrakesh (K, holotypus, 

 BM, LE, P). 

 Anacyclus valentinus var. maroccanus Ball ex Pitard, Ei.pl. Sci. Maroc. Bot. 1 : 57 (1913), nom. nud. 



Illustrations: Figs 2, 4, 16. 



Common names : Chemt-el-fellous. 



Annual; main stems extremely short, 1-2 cm long, or virtually absent, emerging from a simple 

 taproot. Leaves alternate, sessile, oblong to spathulate in outline, 2-0-10-0 X 0-5-2-5 cm, tri- 

 pinnatisect, sparsely to densely villous, especially when young. Primary lobes in 7-12 subopposite 

 or alternate pairs, reduced at the base; ultimate segments long-acuminate; rhachis prominent, 

 long-cuneate, broad at the base. Inflorescence a very contracted corymbose cyme; peduncles 

 2-12 erect, conspicuously spreading or decumbent, (2-0-) 5-0-30 cm long, emerging spirally from 

 the axils of the stem leaves or basal rosette, glabrous to densely villous (especially towards the 

 apex) and often tinged with red, distinctly clavate, up to 6-0 mm wide but narrowing slightly 

 immediately below the capitulum. Involucre 5-0-12-0 (-15-0) mm; involucral bracts multiseriate 

 4-0-6-0 xc. 0-2 mm, triangular, herbaceous, green with a thin dark-brown margin, somewhat 

 erose at the apex; receptacular scales oblong to obcuneate, 2-5-3-5 x 2-5-3-5 mm with tough, 

 chartaceous centres and thinner, membranous wings, the apex cuspidate. Ray-florets white with 

 a deep red stripe below; ligule 7-0-26-0 mm x 2-5-5-0 mm, usually minutely 3-lobed at the 

 apex; tube 3-0-4-0 xc. 0-5 mm, anterior-dorsally compressed with a narrow, winged margin 

 Disc-florets 3-4 x 0-5-0-7 mm, anterior-dorsally compressed with narrow winged margins; 

 lobes narrow-triangular, cucullate, with extended heads on two of the lobes. Styles c. 3-5 mm long, 

 style arms 0-5-0-8 mm long. Stamens 3-0-3-5 mm, anthers 1-5-2-0 mm. Cypselas 2-0-2-6 x 

 0-9-1-8 mm, obcuneate; wings 0-2-0-5 mm wide, thin, crenate, with two minute auricules; 

 epicarp pale brown-grey, covered with long, longitudinally orientated myxogenic cells. Pappus 

 either a minute crenate corona or occasionally absent. 



Flowering period: Mainly March-April. 



Observations: This distinctive species is generally a creeping or decumbent annual, with a markedly 

 reduced main stem. Superficially, the habit and the white ligules with a red stripe of Anacyclus 

 maroccanus are similar to A. pyrethrum. However, the fruit structure is entirely different, the 

 crenate margins being similar to those of A. monanthos. 



Distribution and ecology: See Fig. 13. An ephemeral annual of the Moroccan plain. Generally 

 restricted to roadside habitats. 



