Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 796 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Skeleton weed, gum succory, naked weed.

Description:
Herb to 1 m high, almost leafless at flowering time; basal leaves oblanceolate, with narrow petiole-like bases, acute, 4-20 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, runcinately pinnatifid softly herbaceous, glabrous or subglabrous, soon withering; flowering stem single, erect, much-branched, striate, glabrous or tomentose-pubescent near the base; cauline leaves few, entire, lanceolate to linear, mostly reduced and bract-like.

Capitula numerous, widely spaced along the ultimate branches, solitary or 2 or 3 together in the axils of scale-leaves; involucres 9-13 mm long, 3-4 mm diam., minutely tomentose; inner bracts 7-9, with prominent mid-veins and dark attenuate subacute apices; florets 9-15; ligules truncate, 7-10 mm long.

Achenes 8-10 mm long including a beak 4-5 mm long, pallid to dark-brown, glabrous, scaly-muricate above; pappus bristles numerous, 6-7 mm long, white.

Published illustration: Parsons (1973) Noxious weeds of Victoria, p. 94.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: EA, EP, NL, MU, SL, SE.   All States except the N.T.   Native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe and western Asia. Distrib: On roadsides, cultivated fields, river banks, pastures and other disturbed sites, usually on richer soils. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Dec. — April.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: The formerly most common variant of C. juncea, with divaricate branches and very small linear cauline leaves, is apparently being replaced by a variant with broader cauline leaves and less divergent branches which is resistant to the rust introduced to Australia in 1971 to control the species.

Taxonomic notes: A serious weed of cereal crops, first recorded in this State in 1947.

Author: Not yet available