Schkuhria pinnata

1. Schkuhria pinnata (Lam.) O. Kuntze ex Thell. (syn.: S. advena Thell., Pectis pinnata Lam.) (Am.) – A rare and always ephemeral alien. Recorded between 1906 and 1953 as a wool alien in the Vesdre valley. Found in 1948 in the port of Antwerpen without obvious vector of introduction. In the 1990’s recorded three times, always single specimens and associated with grain importation (incl. birdseed): in 1993 in a worked-up road verge near Pittem (Verloove & Vandenberghe 1994), in 1994 in a road verge in Ardooie and in 1997 in the port of Gent (railway track). Most recently observed near a grain mill in the port of Roeselare in 2009 and 2013.

Schkuhria pinnata is a rather variable species. At least two varieties have been recorded in Belgium: var. abrotanoides (Roth) Cabrera (syn.: S. abrotanoides Roth) and var. pinnata. All recent records belong to var. pinnata and var. abrotanoides was only recorded as a wool alien. Both are distinguished as follows (see also van Ooststroom & Reichgelt 1956):

  • Pappus scales all alike, truncate at apex, not awned === var. pinnata
  • Pappus scales dissimilar, 4 truncate and unawned and 4 acute and awned at apex === var. abrotanoides

Herbarium specimen 1

Herbarium specimen 2

Herbarium specimen 3

Schkuhria pinnata, habitus; Drawing S.Bellanger       

 Schkuhria pinnata, achene+pappus; Drawing S.Bellanger

Schkuhria pinnata
var. pinnata

Schkuhria pinnata var. abrotanoides, achene+pappus; Drawing S.Bellanger

Schkuhria pinnata
var. abrotanoides

Schkuhria pinnata, Roeselare, port area, border of the unloading quay near grain mill, August 2009, F. Verloove Schkuhria pinnata, Roeselare, port area, border of the unloading quay near grain mill, August 2009, F. Verloove

 


Literature:

Amor Morales A. (2009) Schkuhria pinnata (Lam.) Kuntze (Compositae), nueva especie para la flora de Extremadura. Acta Bot. Malacit. 34: 226-228.

Chrtek J. (1981) Schkuhria pinnata v Československu. Zpr. Čs. Bot. Společ., Praha 16(1): 11-13.

Kloos A.W. (1917) Enkele aangevoerde composieten. De Levende Natuur 22: 246-249.

Turner B.L. (1996) Taxonomy and nomenclature of Schkuhria pinnata (Asteraceae, Helenieae). Phytologia 79: 364-368.

Van Ooststroom S.J. & Reichgelt Th.J. (1956) Floristische notities 1-18. Acta Bot. Neerl. 5(1): 102-114.

Verloove F. & Vandenberghe C. (1994) Nieuwe en interessante graan- en veevoederadventieven voor de Belgische en Noordfranse flora, hoofdzakelijk in 1993. Dumortiera 58-59: 44-59.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith