Eryngium L.

7. Eryngium L. View in CoL 2

Glabrous herbs. Leaves entire to 3-pinnatisect, at least the upper softly to pungently spiny. Inflorescence usually branched; flowers sessile in hemispherical to cylindrical capitula, at the base of which are 3 or more softly to pungently spinescent bracts; entire, 3- or 4-cuspidate bracteoles present at least near the edges of the capitula. Sepals rigid; petals less than 4 mm, erect, emarginate, shorter than sepals. Fruit ovoid to subglobose, nearly always sparsely or densely covered with scales; mericarps plano-convex, slightly ridged; vittae usually slender; carpophore absent.

Descriptions of basal leaves refer to those present at the time of flowering, or to the last ones produced before flowering. Descriptions of capitula, bracts, bracteoles and floral parts refer to the largest, central capitulum of an inflorescence.

1 Basal leaves 150-250 cm, ensiform, simple; bracts c. 2 mm

26. pandanifolium 1 Basal leaves less than 150 cm; bracts more than 3 mm

2 Bracteoles 4-cuspidate 1. tenue 2 Bracteoles entire or 3-cuspidate

3 Most bracts more than 6 cm 20. spinalba 3 Bracts not more than 6 cm

4 Bracts more than 25 9. alpinum 4 Bracts fewer than 25

5 Capitula 4-10 cm 5. duriaei 5 Capitula less than 4 cm

6 Basal leaves 3- to 7-sect, persistent, with linear segments 10-30x0-2-4 cm

7 Basal leaves 3-sect; inflorescence w’ith 3-6 capitula

15. ternatum 7 Basal leaves 5- to 7-sect; inflorescence with more than

6 capitula 16. serbicum 6 Basal leaves not as above, or decaying early

8 Outer bracteoles almost as large as bracts

9 Stems 50-100 cm; basal leaves divided 22. amorginum 9 Stems less than 40 cm; basal leaves undivided

10 Bracts and bracteoles usually more than 12; roots

c. 2 mm thick; basal leaves 1 cm or more wide

2. barrelieri 10 Bracts and bracteoles usual ly fewer than 12; roots less than 2 mm thick; basal leaves usually less than

1 cm wide

11 Bracts rigid, pungent; sepals c. 2 mm 3. galioides 11 Bracts soft, with setiform apex; sepals 1-1-5 mm

4. vivipanim 8 Outer bracteoles much smaller than bracts

12 Bracts entire

13 Bracts more than 8 21. bourgatii 13 Bracts fewer than 8

14 Inflorescence of fewer than 10 capitula; bracteoles 3-cuspidate 13. tricuspidatum 14 Inflorescence of more than 10 capitula; bracteoles entire

15 Basal leaves undivided, with swollen, segmented petiole; axis of capitulum projecting in a bractlike appendage 25. corniculatum 15 Basal leaves divided; petiole not swollen and segmented; axis of capitulum not projecting

16 Bracts 3-4, thickened and folded at base

14. triquetrum 16 Bracts 5-7, ± fla ta tb a se 24. campestre 12 Bracts with 1 or more pairs of spines or teeth

17 Bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate; sepals 4-5 mm

8. maritimum 17 Bracts lanceolate to linear; sepals less than 4 mm

18 Capitula sessile; stem procumbent, branched from the base 6. ilicifolium 18 Capitula pedunculate; stem erect, usually not branched from the base

19 Bracts with more than 6 pairs of teeth or spines

20 Lamina of leaf decurrent on petiole 7. aquifolium 20 Lamina of leaf not decurrent on petiole

13. tricuspidatum 19 Bracts with 6 or fewer pairs of teeth or spines

21 Basal leaves undivided (though often deeply dentate)

22 Inflorescence strict, with not more than 8 capitula 13. tricuspidatum 22 Inflorescence spreading, with more than 10 capitula

23 Sepals mucronate 12. creticum 23 Sepals aristate

24 Capitula more than half as long as bracts

10. planum 24 Capitula not more than half as long as bracts

11. dichotomum 21 Basal leaves divided

25 Lamina of basal leaves decurrent on petiole 26 Basal leaves with 2- or 3-pinnatisect segments

23. amethystinum

26 Basal leaves with dentate to pinnatisect segments

27 Leaves and bracts very coriaceous, strongly pungent; bracts 3-5 cm, with 1—2(—3) pairs of spines 18. glaciale

27 Leaves and bracts slightly coriaceous, scarcely pungent; bracts 1-3 cm, with 3-6 pairs of spines 19. dilatatum

25 Lamina of basal leaves not decurrent on petiole 28 Bracts 10-15 21. bourgatii 28 Bracts fewer than 10 29 Bracteoles entire 30 Basal leaves with dentate to 3-fid segments

11. dichotomum

30 Basal leaves with 2-pinnatisect segments

24. campestre

29 Bracteoles 3-cuspidate 31 Inflorescence spreading, usually with 30-100 capitula 12. creticum

31 Inflorescence strict, with 10 or fewer capitula

32 Bracts linear-lanceolate, 2-5-4 mm wide in middle; basal leaves palmatisect

17. palmatum

32 Bracts narrowly linear-lanceolate, 1-2 mm

wide in middle; basal leaves 3-fid

13. tricuspidatum