Leontodon saxatilis Lam. subsp. rothii Maire

Spice In the field In the field 2

Family: COMPOSITAE (ASTERACEAE)

Genus: Leontodon

Sinònims: Thrincia hispida Roth Leontodon taraxacoides (Vill.) Mérat subsp. hispidus (Roth) Kerguélen

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

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

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytic communities.

Characteristics: A herb belonging to the Compositae family, with yellow capitula and a rosette of basal leaves. The whole plant has slightly rigid hairs which typically have the tip branched in three ends, we can use this feature to distinguish it from most of the other Compositae species with a basal rosette of leaves. The leaves are long, with a wavy margin. When it bears fruit we can see that the central fruits have a ring of hairs (a pappus) on a beak, whereas the peripheral fruits only have a membranous crown. We will distinguish it from Leontodon tuberosus, which lives in the same habitats, because this has thick, tuberous roots, and the leaf-stalks of the capitula can be pressed between your fingers. It lives in the clearings in garrigues (Mediterranean woodland) and pinewoods. It flowers from spring to summer.