Echinops sphaerocephalus

Drüsenblättrige globe thistle ( Echinops sphaerocephalus )

Called The Drüsenblättrige globe thistle ( Echinops sphaerocephalus ), also Himalayan blue thistle or Bee globe thistle, is a species of the genus Echinops ( Echinops ) in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae).

Description

The Drüsenblättrige globe thistle is a two to several years, mostly hapaxanthe, rarely perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height of 60 to 180 cm. The whole plant is strongly glandular hairy, last at least still reddish brown, almost always branched stems. The leaves are on the upper side (next to the glands ) kurzborstig to hispid, serrated thistle -like thorny and fiederlappig to fiederteilig.

The reduced depending on a single flower heads are in turn combined into a capitate, spherical, hedgehog -like total inflorescence second order. The bracts and corolla is metallic gray to whitish, at most weakly started grayish - blue. Contrast effect is caused by the blue stamens and the white crown. The corolla tube is 6 mm long. There is a stylus brush available.

The achenes are 6 to 10 mm long and have a crown -like hair ring ( pappus ).

Ecology

The Drüsenblättrige globe thistle is a Hemikryptophyt. In Central Europe it only flowers once. It forms "basket flower ", which form abundant nectar. Pollinators are bees, wasps and butterflies ( entomophily ).

The bracts close when wet and spread out in dry weather. The propagation takes place as an animal shaker and by the people (garden refugee ). Also Velcro propagation is possible; Contrast, wind propagation questionable. Fruit ripening is from September to October.

Occurrence

The Drüsenblättrige globe thistle originally from southern Europe. In Central Europe it is cultivated here and there as an ornamental and bee forage plant, and occasionally wild and naturalized found, especially in dry and heat areas of dumps, dams or banks. It prefers rich, particularly stony ground. After Ellenberg it is a light plant, a heat indicator, sub-continental spread, more commonly found on nitrogen-rich sites, and a heat -seeking Verbandscharakterart thistle companies ( Onopordion acanthii ).