Taraxacum obovatum (Willd.) DC. subsp. ochrocarpum Van Soest

Spice Capitulums Fruit detail In the field

Family: COMPOSITAE (ASTERACEAE)

Genus: Taraxacum

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

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte.

Habitats: Rock crevices and cliff faces. Therophytic calicole fields.

Characteristics: Plant with leaves forming a basal rosette. The leaves are very wide and either un-divided or only slightly divided, with a short petiole. The capitula are yellow, as is for many Mediterranean species. But these can be distinguished because they have two levels of bracts, one set of narrow, elongated internal bracts, while those of the external set are shorter and bend outwards. The achenes are brown and very wrinkled. The subsp. ochrocarpum can be distinguished by it very slightly divided, almost entire, leaves. Flowers at the end of winter.