Bellis annua, the annual daisy, is a small daisy species native to Mediterranean countries eastward to Iran.
| Bellis annua | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Bellis |
| Species: | B. annua
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| Binomial name | |
| Bellis annua L.[1]
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Description and Range
editA small, annual daisy, often little-hairy, with a few small leaves, and small flower heads. The leaves may be distinctly-toothed, and may occur on the flower stem (check several plants). The seeds (achenes) are finely-short hairy.
Native to Mediterranean countries and eastward to Iran.[1]
subsp. annua has leaves to 2.5 cm and flower heads to 1.5 cm with 20-30 ray petals. Range as per species [2]
subsp. vandasii (Velen.) D. A. Webb has larger leaves (to 5 cm) and larger flower heads (1.2-2 cm), range Central Bulgaria - listed in Flora Europaea but not on Plants of the World.
subsp. microcephala (Lange) Nyman has very small flower heads (5-10 mm) with acute hispid involucral bracts under the flowerhead. Native to Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia. [3]
subsp. minuta (DC.) Meikle has shortened ray petals. Native to Cyprus, Italy, Kriti, Palestine, Sardegna. Those on Cyprus being generally this subsp.[4]
Similar Species
editSome similar species include -
B. perennis - Perennial with larger often fairly dense leaves (to 6 cm) that are not on the stem and usually not pointedly-toothed. It has a larger flower head (1.5-3 cm) with more ray petals (30-50).
B. sylvestris - Perennial, like B. perennis but with longer flower stems (10-45 cm) and longer (3-18 cm) leaves with 3 veins that gradually narrow to their base, and slightly larger flower head (2-4 cm).[5][6]
References
edit- ^ a b Plants of the World Online (with map)
- ^ Plants of the World Online (with map) (ssp annua)
- ^ Plants of the World Online (with map) (ssp microcephala)
- ^ Plants of the World Online (with map) (ssp minuta)
- ^ a b Tutin. Flora Europaea.
- ^ a b Davis. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, vol. 5.
- ^ Arne Strid. Atlas of the Aegean Flora Part 1.
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