Ταραξάκο το ελληνικό
Etymology of Taraxacum hellenicum: The name of the genus "Taraxacum" derives from the Arabic word "tarakhshaqūn" for a "bitter herb". Its epithet "hellenicum" means "greek" from Greek "ἑλληνικός" [ellinikos].
Four Taraxacum species are said to exist in the Cypriot habitat. Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia, additionally, was allegedly recorded in one Cypriot location in 2015 by R. Hand (elevation of 1200 metres).
Taraxacum hellenicum grows at an altitude between 600-1375 in Cyprus, hence the regions that appear are limited. It primarily grows on the igneous or calcareous ground, stony slopes, inside villages (paths, walls) and roadsides. Its flowering period is long, between October and April.
How to identify Taraxacum hellenicum:
Its outer phyllaries are erect, subadpressed and its flowering period starts in autumn, in contrast to Taraxacum holmboei and Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia whose outer phyllaries are patent or reflexed, and their flowering period is in spring and early summer.
Taraxacum hellenicum blooms at the same period as cyprius, but hellenicum's leaves are pinnatisect almost to the midrib, with numerous small, oblong-acuminate or suborbicular lateral lobes, separated by smaller lobules. On the contrary, Taraxacum cyprius's leaves are runcinate-pinnatifid with broad, deltoid, entire or toothed lateral lobes, occasionally subentire or broadly and irregularly lobed. Additionally, cyprium's flowers appear before the leaves, hellenicum's not, and hellenicum has generally few flowers blooming simultaneously whilst cyprium may have plenty.
Finally, Taraxacum hellenicum differs from Taraxacum aphrogenes in the fact that the first appears at an altitude higher than 600 metres and the latter appears at almost zero altitudes, as it is a coastal species.
