Citation: Lois., Nat. Pl. Fr. 148 (1810).

Synonymy: Valeriana locusta

Common name: Lesser cornsalad.

Description:
Annual herbs with spreading branches up to 30 cm high, unbranched becoming branched mainly from the base later, covered with spreading hairs; leaves entire to pinnately toothed, lobed or partite, oblanceolate to elliptic-spathulate to -petiolate at the base becoming lanceolate or rarely acute, sessile and often more deeply dissected on the stems, 1-13 x 0.3-2 cm, obtuse or rounded, rarely bluntly acute below the inflorescence, with scattered hairs at least along the margins.

Inflorescences with 1 to several cymose heads with many sessile flowers; bracts linear-lanceolate and entire or lower ones ovate and pinnatisect with linear lobes, with marginal cilia; calyx with a short cup-like tube and 5-12 unequal longer lobes continued into a hooked spine, becoming often longer than the fruit, hairy mainly on the inside; corolla with a short funnel-shaped tube c. 1.5 mm long, pale-lilac; lobes oblong-oblanecolate, c. 1 mm long, subequal; stamens 3; ovary inferior with 3 cells but only 1 fully developed with 1 pendulous ovule, the slender style terminating in a stigma with 3 short thread-like branches.

Fruit ellipsoidal, topped with spine-tipped calyx lobes, scarcely compressed, with several ridges on the anterior side, hairy.

	Plant with lobed leaves, depauperate plant with almost entire leaves, flower, flower head and fruit.
Image source: fig. 620a in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Coode & Matthews (1972) Fl.Turkey 4:573, fig. 17, 5.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   Native to southern Europe, North Africa and south-western Asia to western Iran. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Sept. — Nov.

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

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available