Scientific name: | Asteriscus spinosus (L) Schultz Bip. | |
Synonym name: | Pallenis spinosa (L) Cass. | |
Common name: | Spiny Starwort | |
Hebrew name: | מוצית קוצנית | |
Arabic name: | نجمة مريم | |
Family: | Compositae / Asteraceae, מורכבים |
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Life form: | Hemicryptophyte | |
Stems: | 30-60 cm, covered with soft hairs, woody at base, usually branched | |
Leaves: | Alternate, rosette, entire, dentate or serrate | |
Flowers: | Orange, yellow | |
Fruits / pods: | 2-2.5mm, pappus of numerous scales | |
Flowering Period: | April, May, June | |
Habitat: | Batha, Phrygana | |
Distribution: | Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon | |
Chorotype: | Mediterranean | |
Summer shedding: | Ephemeral |
Derivation of the botanical name: Asteriscus , the Greek word 'asteriskos' meaning "small star" in reference to the smaller star shaped flowers. spinosus, thorny, prickly; crabbed, difficult; Pallenis , palea (chaff), referring to the chaffy receptacle. The Hebrew word: מוצית, motzit from מןץ, motz, chaff.
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