Cynaria.
Family Asteraceae > Subfamily Carduoideae > Tribe Cardueae > Subtribe Carduinae.
Cynara is a genus of thistle-like herbs of which Cynara cardunculus, the Wild Artichoke
is the best known.
Cynaria is not listed on Plants of the World Online or World Flora Online but the old Plant List
recognises 11 species and Mabberley 8.
They are from the Mediterranean and N. Africa regions.
(The Jerusalem Artichoke is Helianthus tuberosus, also in the Asteraceae family.)
Cynaria are branched perennial herbs with alternate leaves.
Leaves are deeply divided into spine-tipped lobes with dense hairs on the lower surface.
Terminal flower heads have whorls of involucral bracts with spiny tips.
The bisexual florets have a long thin blue, purple or white corolla tube with 5 lobes.
The 5 anthers are fused into a tube and the long coloured style has 2 short stigma lobes.
The seeds have many bristles attached to the base.
J.F.
