Picris

Ordinary Bitter Herb ( Picris hieracioides ), illustration

The bitter herbs ( Picris ) constitute a genus in the subfamily Cichorioideae within the sunflower family ( Asteraceae).

• 4.1 Notes and references

Description

In the bitter herb species are annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plants that reach heights of growth between 10 and 100 cm. They have a rough, partly widerhakige hair. Some species form rhizomes.

In trugdoldigen inflorescences are the flower baskets that contain only 30 to 100 (or more) zygomorphe ray florets. The top five yellow petals are united at the base into a tube. The tongue ends in five lobes. The five-to zehnrippigen achenes are 2.5 to 5 mm long and slightly curved. The pappus has federiger two rows of snow-white Pappushaare.

System

The genus belongs to the subtribe Picris Hypochaeridinae from the tribe Cichorieae in the subfamily Cichorioideae within the family Asteraceae. Synonyms for Picris are: Apargia, Microderis. The botanical genus name is derived from the Greek word Picris pikros for bitter ( taste).

Types and distribution

The approximately 40 Picris species have a worldwide distribution area whose distribution area is located in the Mediterranean region.

In Central Europe, there is only one way:

• Ordinary bitter herbs, hawkweed - bitter herbs (sl ) ( Picris hieracioides L. ) with several subspecies.

Outside of Central Europe ( selection):

• Picris hispanica ( Willd.) PDSell: It occurs in Spain and North Africa.
• Picris hispidissima ( Bartl. ) WDJKoch: It occurs only in Italy, the former Yugoslavia, and possibly also in Greece.
• Picris pauciflora Willd. It occurs inter alia, in south-eastern France, on the Balkan Peninsula, in the Aegean Sea, in the Middle East and the Crimea.
• High bitter herbs ( Picris rhagadioloides (L.) Desf; Syn. Picris altissima Delile, Picris sprengeriana auct. )
• Picris scaberrima cast. It occurs only in Italy.
• Picris sinuata ( Lam.) Paint: It occurs only in Algeria and Tunisia.
• Picris willkommii ( Schultz Bip. ) Nyman: It occurs in south-west Spain and possibly in Portugal.

No longer to the genus Picris today the species of the genus Helminthotheca, including:

• Helminthotheca comosa ( Boiss. ) Holub ( Syn: Picris comosa ( Boiss. ) Benth & Hook f ex BDJacks, Helminthia comosa Boiss.. .. )
• Natternkopf - bitter herbs, Wurmlattich ( Helminthotheca echioides (L.) Holub, Syn: Picris echioides L., Helminthia echioides (L.) Juss. )

Pictures

Picris hieracioides

Stems and foliage leaf of Picris hieracioides subsp. japonica.

Illustration.

Swell

• John L. Strother: Picris. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee ( eds.): Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 19: Magnoliophyta: unranked, part 6: Asteraceae, part 1 ( Mutisieae - Anthemideae ), Oxford University Press, New York / Oxford et al 2006, ISBN 0-19-530563-9, p 302, online. (English )
• H. H. Allan: Flora of New Zealand. Volume I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. Owen, Wellington 1961, reprint 1982. ISBN 0-477-01056-3. Picris online ( English).