Soliva stolonifera (Brot.) R. Br. ex G. Don f.

Spice In the field 1 In the field 2

Family: COMPOSITAE (ASTERACEAE)

Genus: Soliva

Sinònims: Gymnostyles stolonifera (Brot.) Tutin

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytic fields and urban areas.

Characteristics: A tiny plant, which lives completely along the ground, it has leaves with a jagged margin and forms flowers at ground level. The capitula are yellow, and become grey when they bear fruit. It extends across the earth forming stolons, which allows it to occupy land areas of up to several square metres. It lives in dry, open places, generally next to paths used by livestock. It can also be found among the paving stones in not very busy streets. It was originally from South America and has spread to the Mediterranean. It can coexist with Crepis pusilla, which is another tiny Compositae which forms capitula at ground level, but this species does not have leaves with a jagged margin and therefore it is easy to distinguish.