About Pallenis spinosa (L.) Cass.
Pallenis spinosa (L.) Cass. reaches an average height of 60 centimetres (24 inches). Its leaves are alternate, and shaped either lanceolate or elliptical. Basal leaves have short petioles, while cauline leaves are sessile or semiamplexicaul. A single solitary inflorescence grows at the tip of each branch. The large, slightly convex receptacle holds numerous yellowish-orange hermaphrodite disc florets, plus two whorls of yellow ray florets. The long, villous involucral bracts end in a sharp apical spine. This species flowers from May through July. Its fruits are achenes that measure around 2–2.5 millimeters in length. This plant occurs in desert and coastal habitats across Southern Europe, North Africa, the Canary Islands, and the Middle East. It can survive in very dry environments, and is found on uncultivated sunny land, as well as roadsides, at elevations between 0 and 1,400 metres (0–4,593 ft) above sea level.
