Pulicaria Gaertn.

Herbs, annual or perennial, usually woolly or villous. Branches 6 - 60 cm, ascending or spreading. Leaves alternate, often cordate, lanceolate, linear or oblong, amplexicaul, sessile, subsessile or petiolate. Heads rayed and heterogamous or disciform and homogamous, solitary. Involucre hemispheric or obconic; bracts few-seriate, narrow, linear, subequal, acute or subobtuse. Receptacle flat or subconvex, pitted. Ray florets female, 1 - 2-seriate; ligules narrow, minute or absent. Disc florets bisexual, slender, fertile, 5-fid. Anther bases sagittate with mintue auricles. Achenes terete or ribbed, sparsely hairy or densely silky. Pappus double; the outer row of short jagged teeth or forming a setulose-laciniate cup; inner row of smooth or barbellate hairs.

Predominently in the Mediterranean region, Europe, Asia and Africa; ca 25 species, 11 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Inner involucral bracts much longer than outer; leaves succulent

5. Pulicaria glaucescens

b. Involucral bracts subcqual; leaves not succulent

2

2a. Leaves petiolatc; achenes subfusiform with a Gonstriction at apex

7. Pulicaria petiolaris

b. Leaves sessile; achenes terete, oblong, elliptic, angular, without any constriction at apex

3

3a. Ray florets tubular

4. Pulicaria foliolosa

b. Ray florets ligulate

4

4a. Pappus hairs thickened at apex, outer scales connate, deciduous

5

b. Pappus hairs, not thickened at apex, outer row of free scales or forming a cup

7

5a. Achenes densely silky; pappus not more than twice the size of achenes; annuals

6. Pulicaria gnaphalodes

b. Achenes glabrous; pappus more than twice the size of achenes; perennials

6

6a. Leaves crisped with recurved margins; involucral bracts acute; pappua 3 times longer than achenes

2. Pulicaria crispa

b. Leaves serrate dentate with flat margins; involucral bracts acuminate; pappus 6 times longer than achenes

9. Pulicaria rajputanae

7a. Outer row of pappus forming a laciniate cup; achenes sparsely hairy

8

b. Outer row of pappus of free lanceolate scales; achenes silky

9

8a. Heads 1.2 - 2 cm across; peduncles thickened below heads; plants 30 - 60 cm; pappus red

11. Pulicaria wightiana

b. Heads up to 1 cm across; peduncles not thickened below heads; plants less than 30 cm; pappus while

1. Pulicaria angustifolia

9a. Ligules not exceeding the size of involucral bracts; achenes ellipsoid, 4 - 5 angled; annuals

8. Pulicaria prostrata

b. Ligules exceeding the size of involucral bracts; achedes cylindrical or oblong, ribbed; perennials

10

10a Leaves oblong-lanceolate, semi amplexicaul at base, waved or toothed; pappus hairs very long

3. Pulicaria dysenterica

b. Leaves obovate to subrotund, attenuate at base, margins entire; pappus hairs very small

10. Pulicaria salviaefolia

List of Lower Taxa