Page 37 - Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2009

© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Lymperopoulou and Giannopolitis 38
- Peduncles with numerous long (more
than 0.5 mm) patent glandular hairs (Fig-
ure 2),
- Receptacular scales entire (Figure 3),
- Pappus scales aristate
as opposed to few short (less than 0.5 mm)
hairs on the peduncles, 3-fid receptacular
scales and not aristate papus scales in G.
parviflora. Furthermore, G. ciliata plants are
larger (reach a height of 80 cm) with more
branched stems covered with long glandu-
lar hairs and rather triangular leaf blades
with a broader base and dentate (not ser-
rate) at the margins.
Sida spinosa L. (synonyms S. alba L., S. an-
gustifolia Lam., S. angustifolia Mill.), Malva-
ceae, was first found in a cotton field in the
valley of Louros river, near Preveza (South
Western Greece), in September 2003. Dur-
ing a weed survey in this area, at that time,
only few scattered plants were present in a
small acreage of cotton crops in the speci-
fied location. Furthermore, in summer 2004,
a specimen of the same species arrived at
the laboratory for identification from cotton
crops in the area of Palamas, near Karditsa
(Central Greece). A visit to Palamas in Sep-
tember 2005 verified the presence of the
Figure 1. Part of a G. ciliata plant with the hairy stem, the op-
posite leaves and the small flower heads. More details of the
flower head, particularly the white 3-toothed ray florets are
shown in 1a.
1a
2a 2b
Figure 2. The long glandular hairs on the peduncles of G. cil-
iata (2a) as opposed to the short ones on the peduncles of G.
parviflora (2b).
3a
3b
Figure 3. Receptacular scales, entire in G. ciliata (3a) and tri-
fid in G. parviflora (3b).