Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 790 (1753).

Derivation: Italian scorzonera, applied to S. hispanica; scorza, skin; nera, black; as the root of that species is often black.

Synonymy: Podospermum DC. in Lam. & DC., Fl. Franc. edn 3, 4:61 (1805).

Common name: None

Description:
Biennial herb with a tap root; vestiture of minute non-glandular hairs or absent; basal leaves usually pinnately dissected, flat, erect; stems terete, branched: cauline leaves few, alternate.

Capitula solitary or few in a loose terminal corymb, homogamous; involucre cylindrical; bracts lanceolate, imbricate in c. 3 or 4 unequal series, herbaceous, accrescent and ultimately reflexed in fruit; receptacle somewhat convex, naked, pitted; florets bisexual, fertile, ligulate; ligules linear, yellow; corolla tube cylindrical, dilated and pubescent above; anthers sagittate at the base, with obtuse apical appendages; style branches linear, terete, pubescent.

Achenes terete, ribbed, on a thickened hollow stipes wider than the achene body; pappus multisetlate, of free plumose bristles, persistent.

Distribution:  150 species in Europe and Asia.

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available