Catapodium rigidum (L.) C.E.Hubb.

Spice

Family: GRAMINEAE (POACEAE)

Genus: Catapodium

Sinònims: Desmazeria rigida (L.) Tutin

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytic silicolous fields. Rocky surfaces and dry stone walls. Therophytic communities. Cultivated fields and road sides.

Characteristics: A small Gramene living in the moors, dry fields and even along path-sides, it is recognised because the inflorescence is quite rigid, the spikelets stick out above the branches which are also rigid. It can be mistaken for Desmazeria marina, which also has a rigid spike, but they can be differentiated because the latter has longer, and above all wider, spikelets and the spike is generally not branched.