Tolpis

Family Asteraceae. Name: the origin of the genus name is unclear.

Description: the genus includes about 20 species occurring in the Mediterranean, the Canary and Azores Islands.

Annual and perennial low-growing herbaceous plants, with entire or pinnately divided, toothed, mainly basal leaves, or those located on the lower part of the stem. The inflorescences are heads (capitula); the ligulate flowers are yellow or white, the tubular ones are small and dark. The involucre is multi-rowed, the bracts are narrow. The achenes are cylindrical, ribbed, with a pappus of 8–10 very fine bristles.

Native range - Western Mediterranean. An annual herbaceous plant. Stems erect, strongly branched, up to 90 cm tall. The whole plant has a soft, short pubescence. Lower leaves oblong-spatulate, toothed or crenate-toothed; middle ones lanceolate; upper ones linear with an even margin. Inflorescences are bright yellow with a brown-red disk of small tubular flowers, up to 5 cm in diameter, surrounded by an involucre of numerous bristly bracts. It blooms abundantly from mid-June to September. The fruits are elongated, ovoid, turning dark red at maturity. Seeds remain viable for 3–4 years. Self-seeding occurs.

Location: light-loving and cold-hardy.

Soil: prefers moderately fertile soils with adequate lime content. Does not tolerate waterlogging.

Propagation: by seed. For raising seedlings, sow in March in a greenhouse; seedlings appear on the 8th–10th day. It can be sown outdoors in April with subsequent thinning of seedlings to 15–20 cm spacing.

Uses: in groups, borders, rock gardens and for cutting.