Crupina vulgaris Cass.

Family: Asteraceae, Tribe: Cynareae

Common names:  common crupina, bearded creeper

Disseminule:  Fruit

Description

Fruit an achene, cylindrical, tapering slightly to an obtuse base, 3-6 mm long, 1.5-4 mm in diameter (not including pappus). Base smooth, becoming puberulent, then villous toward apex, semiglossy; black at base to honey-brown to light golden at apex, in 3 +/- visible transverse stripes. Scar basal, suborbicular, convex, white. Pappus persistent (inner achenes), blackish-brown, multiseriate; outer rows of pappus rough, short, narrowly triangular-lanceolate scale-like bristles to 4-7 mm long, inner rows of long stiff barbed bristles gradually reaching ca. 10 mm long. Style base whitish, columnar, usually open ended, deeply depressed in cup-shaped thick-walled corolla base, surrounded by one row of ca. 7-10 short triangular scales, each ca. 0.3 mm wide. Embryo spatulate, cotyledons broad; endosperm absent.

Identification remarks

Crupina achenes are distinguishable by their size, shape, and color. Compare with Crupina crupinastrum (Moris) Vis. (the only other species in the genus).

Distribution

Mediterranean countries of Europe and Africa, eastern and central Europe, through Asia minor, the Middle East, to southwest Asia; also in Australia, Argentina, Zambia, United States.

Habitat

Dry south slopes, grasslands, forested areas, pastures, roadsides. Adaptable to different climates and soil types.

General information

Crupina vulgaris is a winter annual herb, up to 1 m tall. Because this species is unpalatable to cattle, it forms dense stands in disturbed rangelands, reducing forage area. It apparently does not, however, grow in cultivated fields. The achenes are spread by livestock, birds and water.

Achenes

Achene, detail

Apex (left) and basal scar (right) of achene

A, Achene; B, detail of apex; C, achene outline showing entire pappus; D, longitudinal section of achene showing embryo in situ; E, transection of achene

drawing by Lynda E. Chandler

Achenes

Achene, detail

Scar of achene