Rhaponticum coniferum (L.) Greuter
Family: COMPOSITAE (ASTERACEAE)
Genus: Rhaponticum
Sinònims: Leuzea conifera (L.) DC.
Catalan common name: Carxofeta. Carxofeta de muntanya. Cigala. Culleres de pastor. Guitarra. Herba de ronya. Perdiuetes. Pinya de Sant Joan.
Spanish common name: Cuchara de pastor.
Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.
Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Cabrera.
General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean
IUCN Category: Least concern
Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte.
Habitats: Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Pine forest.
Characteristics: This species is frequently found in pine forests, as we can generally observe this plant in the of a rosette of greyish leaves that are covered with silky hairs, above on the leaf reverse, and can reach (the leaf rosette) up to 30 cm in length. When flowers it forms a capitulum at the upper half of a short peduncle. The capitulum is also very characteristic as it is in the form of a small pinecone with membranous, silky bracts forming the involcure The fruits are black with a long silky spine. Flowers at the end of spring.