Helminthotheca

Zinn

Cat. Pl. Hort. Gott., 430. 1757.

Common names: Oxtongue
Etymology: Greek helminthos, worm, and Latin theca, case or container allusion unclear, perhaps to shapes of cypselae
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 300. Mentioned on page 216.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA19 P29 Helminthotheca echioides.jpegHelminthotheca echioides
Rhagadiolus stellatus
Hedypnois cretica
Barbara Alongi
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Barbara Alongi

Annuals or biennials, 10–100+ cm; taprooted. Stems usually 1, erect, branched distally or throughout, hirsute to hispid or setose (hair tips 2–4-hooked). Leaves basal and cauline; basal ± petiolate, distal sessile; blades elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, oblong, or ovate, margins usually dentate to pinnately lobed (faces hirsute to hispid, hair tips 2–4-hooked). Heads borne singly or in loose, corymbiform arrays. Peduncles (terminal and axillary) not inflated distally, seldom bracteate. Calyculi of (3–) 5, cordate or ovate to lanceovate, foliaceous bracts. Involucres ovoid to urceolate, 9–12+ mm diam. (larger in fruit). Phyllaries (5–) 8–13+ in 1 series, lance-linear to linear, subequal, margins little, if at all, scarious, apices acuminate. Receptacles flat, pitted, glabrous, epaleate. Florets 30–60+; corollas yellow (often reddish abaxially). Cypselae (dimorphic): outer whitish, bodies gibbous, ribs 5–10, beaks about equaling bodies, fragile, faces hirtellous to pilosulous adaxially; inner reddish-brown, bodies ± compressed-ellipsoid to fusiform, beaks about equaling or longer than bodies, fragile, faces transversely rugulose to muricate, otherwise glabrous; pappi persistent, of 10–15+, whitish, subequal, barbellate or plumose, subulate to setiform (basally connate) scales in 1–2 series. x = 5.

Distribution

Introduced; Europe, widely

Discussion

Species 4 (1 in the flora).

"fine" is not a number.

... more about "Helminthotheca"
acuminate +
scarious +
ovate +  and lanceolate +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
John L. Strother +
decurrent +
compound +  and simple +
ovate;oblong;ovate;oblong;oblanceolate;lanceolate;elliptic +
tuberculate +, rugose +, muricate +  and smooth +
less compressed-ellipsoid;fusiform +
ovate +  and lanceovate +
filiform +
Oxtongue +
zygomorphic +, actinomorphic +  and (3-)5-merous +
tapered +, beaked +, flattened +, obcompressed +, compressed +, prismatic +, fusiform +, ellipsoid +, columnar +  and clavate +
Europe +  and widely +
Greek helminthos, worm, and Latin theca, case or container +  and allusion unclear, perhaps to shapes of cypselae +
glabrous +, hirtellous +  and pilosulous +
transversely rugulose +  and muricate +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
in loose , corymbiform arrays +  and singly +
indeterminate +
each +  and sessile +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
ovoid;urceolate +
sessile +  and petiolate +
cauline +  and basal +
usually dentate +  and pinnately lobed +
2-carpellate +
persistent +
lance-linear +  and linear +
connate +  and distinct +
8 +  and 13 +
Cat. Pl. Hort. Gott., +
flat;convex +
lack1975a +
5 +  and 10 +
10 +  and 15 +
subulate +  and setiform +
subequal +
exalbuminous +
hirsute +  and hispid or setose +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +
Undefined tribe Lactuceae +
Helminthotheca +
Asteraceae tribe Cichorieae +
biennial +  and annual +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
shrub +  and subshrub +