Inula conyzae
Common names
Ploughman’s spikenard
Biostatus
Exotic
Conservation status
Not applicable
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Erect, shortly rhizomatous perennial up to c. 1m tall. Stems densely hairy, branched above to form infl. Lower cauline leaves sparsely to moderately hairy on upper surface, tomentose on lower, elliptic, long-cuneate, acute, finely denticulate, up to c. 15 x 14 cm; upper lvs similar but smaller and short-cuneate or obtuse at base. Capita 8-12 mm diam., many in corymbs. Outer involucral bracts sparsely hairy and ciliate, herbaceous at apex, subulate, 2-5 mm long; inner bracts sparsely hairy and ciliate, membranous, linear-lanceolate, 8-12 mm long. Ray florets numerous; ligules inconspicuous, yellow, c. 1 mm long. Disc yellow. Mature achenes not seen, sparsely hairy. (Webb et al 1988)
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
January, February
Year naturalised
1988
Origin
Europe to W. Asia, N. Africa
Other information
Etymology
inula: Believed to be a corruption of helenium, Inula helenium (Elecampane) being the Inula campana of medieval Latin (Johnson and Smith, 1986).
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.