Filago petro-ianii Rita & Dittrich

Spice In the field In the field 2

Family: COMPOSITAE (ASTERACEAE)

Genus: Filago

Sinònims: Evax petro-ianii (Rita et Dittrich) Rita

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean (Balearic)

IUCN Category: VUVulnerable

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Therophytic calicole fields. Dry soils.

Characteristics: A small plant with an ephemeral cycle, it flowers at the end of winter and disappears during spring. The inflorescences of this plant (it is a Compositae which forms capitula of capitula) are less than 5 mm in diameter, surrounded by dark green leaves on the top and covered with white hair on the underside. It can branch out from the base, but often does not show any branch. The whole plant is not more than 0.5-4 cm. It lives in the clearings in garrigues (Mediterranean woodland) in the driest areas of Mallorca where it is endemic. It can be clearly differentiated from other Filago or Evax by its size and because in general all the species of these genuses have whitish colours.