Mantisalca

Mantisalca is a genus of flowering plants in the thistle tribe within the daisy family.[4][5]

Mantisalca
A dagger flower, M. salmantica, in Albatera Alicante, Spain.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Asterales
Family:
Asteraceae
Tribe:
Cynareae[1]
Genus:
Mantisalca

Type species
Mantisalca salmantica
(L.) Briq. & Cavill.
Synonyms[2]
  • Centaurea subgenus Mantisalca Cass.

Description

Annual or biennial herbs growing between 50 cm to 1.3 metres in size.[6][7] Herbage is not spiny.[7]

Morphology

The stems are erect, strongly branched, longitudinal parallel lines (striate) with wings on stem absent.[6]

Leaves grow around the base (basal) and along the stem (cauline).[7] Leaves are without spines. Basal leaves dissected to the midrib with the leave segments merging (confluent) at the midrib (pinnatisect).[6] Stem leaves sparse, much reduced, very narrow in length with parallel sides (linear) and toothed, with the teeth pointing towards the leaf tip (serrate).[6]

Flower heads are solitary with ray-florets absent and receptacle scales present.[8] Involcural bracts are ovoid to spheric in shape, 10 to 15 mm in diameter.[7] The bracts are in several series, up to eight in number, ending in a short deciduous spines or with a short sharp point (mucronate).[8][7][6]

Taxonomy

Etymology

Mantisalca is the anagram of the type species epithet salmantica.[7]

Species
Species[1][9][10]
  • Mantisalca amberboides (Caball.) Maire - Morocco
  • Mantisalca cabezudoi E.Ruíz & Devesa
  • Mantisalca delestrii Briq. & Cavill. - Morocco, Algeria
  • Mantisalca duriaei Briq. & Cavill. - France, Spain, Italy
  • Mantisalca salmantica (L.) Briq. & Cavill. - widespread from Britain + Morocco to Palestine
  • Mantisalca spinulosa (Rouy) E.Ruíz & Devesa

Selected hybrids include:

  • Mantisalca × castroviejoi E.Ruíz & Devesa

Distribution and Habitat

Mantisalca occurs primarily in northern Africa, southern Europe and Turkey. One species Mantisalca salmantica is naturalised in Australia.[6]

References
  1. Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist Archived 2014-12-18 at Archive.today
  2. Cassini 1818, p. 142.
  3. "Plant Name Details for Genus Mantisalca". IPNI. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  4. Tropicos, Mantisalca Cass.
  5. Altervista Flora Italiana, genere Mantisalca includes photos and distribution maps
  6. Orchard 2015.
  7. Keil 2006.
  8. Stanley & Ross 1986, p. 587.
  9. "Query Results for Genus Genus". IPNI. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  10. "Name - Mantisalca Cass. subordinate taxa". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved April 17, 2010.

Bibliography
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