Cheirolophus crassifolius
Cheirolophus crassifolius, Dingli Cliffs
Cheirolophus crassifolius is a species of the genus Cheirolophus from the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). The shrub is found exclusively in Malta and is since 1971 the official national plant of the island nation. Nevertheless, the species is threatened with extinction. Long used and commonly found nor is the synonym Palaeocyanus crassifolius.
Description
Cheirolophus crassifolius is an evergreen, above downward with little branching shrub that reaches a height of 20-80 inches. The glossy - green, short -stalked leaves are nearly all in a basal rosette. They are 5-7 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, undivided, verkehrtlanzettlich to spatulate and clearly fleshy. The leaf margins are smooth or denticulate -serrate. The stem leaves are linear - spatulate and smaller.
The baskets are long-petiolate, have a diameter of 2 to 2.5 inches and are ovate. The bracts are entire, without appendages and leathery. The middle bracts are ovate, dull and streaked. The tubular flowers are purple or white in color, the outer ones are sterile. The fruits are 6-8 mm long, hairless achenes with something long, white pappus.
The flowering season lasts from March to September. The chromosome number is 2n = 30,
Distribution and threat
It is native only to Malta, Gozo and Fungus Rock, where they settled cliffs and rocky valley slopes to coral in full sun locations. You will like also used as an ornamental plant in parks or median strip (eg between Mellieha and Il -Ghadira ).
Cheirolophus crassifolius is very rare and threatened with extinction. The holdings comprise a total (estimated ) nor several thousand plants, important factors of risk are the senescence, presumably because the fruits of the plants are attacked by an unknown moth larva, in easily accessible locations, human disturbance and invasive neophytes as Carpobrotus edulis, Agave americana and Opuntia ficus- indica.
Systematics and botanical history
The species was first described in 1827 by Stefano Zerafa as Centaurea spathulata. This name, however, is a homonym; Michele Tenore had in 1811 described another species under this name. Antonio Bertoloni therefore replaced him in 1829 Centaurea crassifolia. The species name refers to the fleshy leaves. In 1971, she was proclaimed as a Maltese national plant. In 1973 she presented Josef Dostal then in a distinct genus as Palaeocyanus crassifolius. Genus and species name but only 1976 were validly published. Based on molecular genetic results placed Alfonso Susanna the type in 1999 then in the genus Cheirolophus.