REVISION OF ANACYCLUS 121 



base, spathulate in outline, (2-5-) 4-0-16-0 x 2-0-5-0 cm, tripinnatisect; primary lobes in 6-14 sub- 

 opposite or alternate pairs, reduced at the base; ultimate lobes short, simple, acuminate; rhachis 

 broad, flattened at the base, slightly decurrent. Inflorescence a corymbose cyme; peduncles 

 terminal, often clavate, hollow and up to 5 mm wide at the apex. Involucre (5-0-) 15-0-18-0 mm; 

 involucral bracts in 2 or 3 rows; outer bracts triangular to linear-oblong, herbaceous, with a 

 thin brown erose scarious margin; inner bracts oblong-obovate to spathulate, (4-) 5-8x1 -5- 

 3-0 mm, chartaceous, with a thin flabelliform laciniate membranous apex; receptacular scales 

 3-5-5-0 x 2-0-3-0 mm, chartaceous, obcuneate, mucronate, somewhat inwardly curved. Ray 

 florets (4-) 8-0-1 7-0 (-22) mm long x(0-8-) 2-5-7-0 (-10-0) mm wide, yellow, cream or white, 

 sometimes with a red-purple stripe below, truncate, shallowly emarginate to 3-lobed at the 

 apex; tube 3-5-4-0x0-6-1 -5 mm, anterior-dorsally compressed, with distinct, parallel-sided 

 lateral wings. Disc florets 3-0-4-5 mm long, tube 0-3-1 -4 mm wide, hypocrateriform; lobes 

 triangular-ovate, acute, usually regularly cucullate, or with extended hoods on 2 of the lobes. 

 Styles 3-0-4-0 mm, style arms c. 0-8 mm long. Stamens 3-4-3-8 mm, anthers c. 0-5 mm. Cypselas 

 2-5-4-0 x 1-0-3-0 (-3-8) mm, widely obovate to obcuneate, pale brown, covered with short, 

 longitudinally orientated, striate myxogenic cells; lateral wings tough, hyaline when mature, 

 0-4-0-8 (-1-0) mm wide, terminating in an erect or slightly inwardly projecting point. Pappus a 

 fimbriate corona, contiguous with the lateral wings, abaxially deeply emarginate to sometimes 

 completely absent on the inner disc florets. 



Flowering period: Mainly March-September; although occasional flowering specimens have also 

 been recorded for January, February and October. 



Chromosome number: 2n= 18. 



Variation: Anacyclus radiatus is a robust annual herb easily distinguished from other species by 

 the inner spathulate involucral bracts with expanded, membranous erose, hyaline apices. It is 

 widespread over the western Mediterranean region and varies along the distribution range. 

 As indicated by ligule colour it forms two fairly discrete taxa with distinct geographical distribu- 

 tion. Subsp. radiatus, found in north-west Morocco, the Atlantic coast of Portugal and the 

 Mediterranean coasts of Algeria, Libya, France, Spain and Italy, and introduced in the eastern 

 Mediterranean, is unique within the genus by the possession of yellow ligules (the remainder being 

 white or rayless). In southern Morocco around the regions of Oueds Sous and Massa, the Sous 

 valley towards Taroudant and in the Canary Islands, the white-rayed forms of subsp. coronatus 

 completely replace subsp. radiatus. In various Atlantic coast localities of Morocco from Safi to 

 Mogador there are several populations exhibiting intermediates between the two subspecies. 

 Populations with pale yellow ligules have been called var. ochroleucus Ball. Various other colour 

 morphs exist, particularly sulphur yellow forms known as var. sulfureus Braun-Blanquet & 

 Maire and an unnamed form with pale yellow or whitish straps and deep yellow bases to the 

 ray florets, which also occur in this region. None of these forms really warrants formal status. 

 Both subspecies have sporadic individuals with red stripes on the lower side of the ligule (a 

 plesiomorphous condition shared by A. pyrethrum and A. maroccanus), which for subsp. radiatus 

 have been called A. purpurascens (Pers.) DC. or subvar. purpurascens (Pers.) Rouy. 



In his protologue, Murbeck distinguishes subsp. coronatus (as a variety) not only by ligule 

 colour but also by pappus shape: '. . . in facie interna pappo magno continue lacero-fimbriato 

 praeditis'. Although all material of this subspecies does seem to have an extremely large fimbriate 

 pappus, the character is not restricted to this taxon but is also very common in individuals with 

 yellow ray florets, particularly in northern Morocco and southern France. 



Distribution and ecology: See Fig. 18. Anacyclus radiatus occupies a considerable area in lowland 

 localities of the western Mediterranean from Ifni and the Canary Islands in the south to south 

 central France and Italy in the north. Subsp. radiatus follows the coast and roadsides from 

 Mogador in the south to around Tangier in north Morocco, occurring also inland around Fez. 



