Helminthotheca echioides (L.) Holub

Family: COMPOSITAE (ASTERACEAE)

Genus: Helminthotheca

Sinònims: Picris echioides L.

Catalan common name: Arpell. Arpellot.

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

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte. Terophyte.

Habitats: Litoral marshes and riparian. Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Humid soils and cultivated fields.

Characteristics: The name of this species makes refernece to the character of its leaves, which are scratchy to the touch and are remanescent of the leaves of an Echium. Flowers are unmistakeable, with large, yellow capitula, like many Mediterranian composites, althoguh these have very large and wide exteriour bracts that envolve the rest of the involucre. Lives in fields and along roadsides, flowers from summer and throughout the fall.