Yellow Succory

Appearance

'' Catananche lutea'' is a low to medium height annual herbaceous plant, with a leaf rosette. This species is diploid and has eighteen chromosomes.

Later, not or sparingly branching erect stems grow to 8–40 cm high, carrying solitary flowerheads at their tips with a papery involucre whitish to beige, reaching beyond the yellow ligulate florets. Flowers are present between April and June.

This plant is unique for the five different types of seed it develops, few larger seeds from the basal flowerheads, which remain in the soil, and smaller seeds from the flowerheads above ground that may be spread by the wind or remain in the flowerhead when it breaks from the dead plant. This phenomenon is known as amphicarpy. The seeds germinate immediately, but in one type, germination is postponed. It naturally occurs around the Mediterranean. Sources in English sometimes refer to this species as yellow succory.

Naming

The simple translation of the root words from the Greek κατάνάγκη , itself a contraction of κατά , "down" and άνάγκη , "force", is "compulsion", which is suggested to refer to the use of this plant in love potions, and is reflected in the vernacular name Cupid's dart. The species epithet ''lutea'' is the Latin for "yellow".

Habitat

''C. lutea'' prefers calcareous , loamy soils in open, disturbed habitats.The aerial flowers are pollinated by a wide variety of insects, but self-fertilisation occurs, and is probably the only type of fertilisation in the horizontal flowerheads. ''Catananche lutea'' has both flower heads on long erect stems and flower heads on very short stems between or under the leaves of the basal rosette . The subterranean flower heads contain two types of cypsela, while in the aerial flower heads three different types can be found, which are located next to the involucre, encircling the centre and at the centre of the receptacle respectively. The subterranean cypselas occur between February and April, are fewer in number, but much larger and heavier than aerial cypselas. A high proportion of the first type of subterranean cypselas germinates quickly, while in the second type germination is spread over time due to inhibition by hormones from the fruit skin. The cypselas in the aerial flower heads form from April to May and neither shows delayed germination, but the three types differ in the way they disperse. Those bordering the involucre have short and scaly pappus and are subtended by a bract, to be released with the flower head when it breaks free from the dead mother plant, resulting in dispersal over a short distance. The cypselas at the centre of the flower head however carry much longer pappus and dislodge much sooner to be carried off by the wind over larger distances. The third type of aerial cypsela has intermediate pappus and may remain in the flower head or be carried off by the wind. The subterranean cypselas spread germination over time, with one type evolved to extend the presence of this annual into the next growing season at a location of proven suitability, while the other type contributes to the soil seed bank, and so hatches against unfavorable years. The aerial cypselas on the other hand spread the progeny into new areas. Hence, ''Catananche lutea'' through its fruits shows different survival strategies by having quick and delayed germination, in situ, short distance and long distance seed dispersal, self- and cross-fertilization, as well as having some ripe seeds already early on in the growing season.

''Catanache lutea'' grows on vertisols, in a climate with wet winters and dry, hot summers. It can be found in association with ''Cerinthe major'', ''Convolvulus tricolor'', ''Fedia cornucopia'', ''F. scorpioides'', ''Glossopappus macrotus'', ''Hedysarum coronarium'', ''H. glomeratum'', ''Lavatera trimestris'', ''Malope trifida'' and Salvia viridis''.