Echinops sphaerocephalus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Campanulids
Ordo: Asterales

Familia: Asteraceae
Subfamilia: Carduoideae
Tribus: Cardueae
Subtribus: Echinopsinae
Genus: Echinops
Species: Echinops sphaerocephalus
Subspecies: E. s. subsp. albidus – E. s. subsp. sphaerocephalus – E. s. subsp. taygeteus
Varietas: E. s. var. koelzii
Name

Echinops sphaerocephalus L.
Homonyms

Echinops sphaerocephalus Miq. = Echinops davuricus Fisch. ex DC.
Echinops sphaerocephalus Sibth. & Sm. = Echinops spinosissimus subsp. spinosissimus

References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus II: 814. Reference page.

Links

Hassler, M. 2018. Echinops sphaerocephalus. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2018. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2018 May 18. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Echinops sphaerocephalus. Published online. Accessed: May 18 2018.
The Plant List 2013. Echinops sphaerocephalus in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published online. Accessed: 2018 May 18.
Tropicos.org 2018. Echinops sphaerocephalus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 18 May 2018.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Echinops sphaerocephalus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names
беларуская: Мардоўнік круглагаловы
čeština: bělotrn kulatohlavý
English: glandular globe-thistle, great globe-thistle, pale globe-thistle
suomi: Valkopallo-ohdake
français: Oursin à têtes rondes
magyar: Fehér szamárkenyér
italiano: Cardo-pallottola maggiore
slovenčina: ježibaba guľatohlavá

Echinops sphaerocephalus, known by the common names glandular globe-thistle,[2] great globe-thistle[3] or pale globe-thistle, is a Eurasian species of globe-thistle belonging to the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae.

Description
flowers, with bee

Echinops sphaerocephalus is a glandular, woolly perennial herbaceous plant with an average height of 50–100 centimetres (20–39 in), occasionally reaching 200 cm (80 inches).[4]

Its erect branching, gray, slightly wrinkled and hairy stems bear the occasional large, soft, sharply toothed, sharp-lobed pointed green leaves. They are sticky hairy above, and white woolly below.[4]

Atop each stem is an almost perfectly spherical inflorescence up to 6 cm in diameter, packed with white or blue-gray disc florets. It flowers from June until September.[4][5]

The flowers are pollinated by insects (usually bees, wasps and butterflies) (entomogamy) and are hermaphrodite (self fertilization or autogamy). The fruits are hairy cylindrical achenes about 7 to 8 mm long. They ripen from September through October. The seeds are dispersed by wind (anemochory).[4]
Distribution

This species is widespread across much of Eurasia but it lives on other continents where it was introduced, including North America where it is a widespread weed.[4][6][3] It is very common in the mountains of southern France and southern and central Europe.[7]
Habitat

It grows in sunny, rocky or brushy places in more or less mineral rich soils at an altitude of 0–400 metres (0–1,312 ft) above sea level.

Subspecies[1]

Echinops sphaerocephalus subsp. albidus (Boiss. et Spruner) Kozu.
Echinops sphaerocephalus subsp. sphaerocephalus
Echinops sphaerocephalus subsp. taygeteus (Boiss. & Heldr.) Kožuharov

References

The Plant List, Echinops sphaerocephalus L.
BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
Flora of North America, Great globe-thistle, boulette commune, Echinops sphaerocephalus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 814. 1753.
Flora of China, 蓝刺头 lan ci tou Echinops sphaerocephalus Linnaeus
Rose, Francis (1981). The Wild Flower Key. Frederick Warne & Co. pp. 386–387. ISBN 0-7232-2419-6.
Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo pallotta maggiore, drüsige Kugeldistel, bolltistel, Echinops sphaerocephalus L. includes photos and European distribution map