Lomelosia brachycarpa (Boiss. & Hohen.) Soják

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Type

Type: Iraq, Mt. Gara, “Pl. Mesopot., Kurdistan & Mossul”, Kotschy ‘255’!; id., anon., [Kotschy] 304 (cited by Boissier in error as 504 in Fl. Orient.; both specimens are types – G, K, P, syn.);

Morphology General Habit

Erect perennial herb up to 70 cm high

Morphology Stem

Stems tomentose-canescent, arising from a woody basal stock

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, tomentose-canescent, 40–70 × 5–12 mm; the lower oblong to narrowly elliptic, entire, dentate or more rarely irregularly pinnatipartite-lyrate; the upper linear-lanceolate, entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence hemispherical, 10–15 mm across, radiant, borne on long slender peduncles 8–14 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, 8–12 mm long; lobes 4–6 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Involucel in fruit 2.5–4.5 mm long; tube 1.5–2.5 mm long, sulcate for about a third of its length; crown 1–2 mm broad, denticulate, 24-veined, sparsely hairy on the outer surface Involucral bracteoles a dense tuft of sericeous hairs equal or subequal in length to the involucel tube Involucral bracts 5–8 × 1–2 mm, linear-lanceolate, acute, tomentose, about equal in length to the inflorescence, often becoming recurved or deflexed in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx subsessile, bristles 3–4 mm long, scabrid.

Ecology

Rocky plateau, Quercus forest; alt. 800–1200 m.

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting: Jul.-Aug.

Distribution

Syria, Lebanon. Although this species has been cited for Iran, Jamzad (1993) makes no reference to it.