Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski

Taxonomy: Fam. Poaceae// Genus: Taeniatherum// Species: Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski.

Determined according to the botanical keys provided by Tutin (Graminae – key to genera) and Humphries (Taeniatherum Nevski) in Tutin et al. (1980).

Lifeform: Annual; therophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native from South Central Europe to the Mediterranean, East European Russia, Pakistan and Arabian Peninsula according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat: Dry grasslands, hill pastures, rocky terrains, bushlands and edges of oak forests.

Flowering period: Late spring – early summer: MAY, JUN.

Taeniatherum caput-medusae – habitat. Hills near Kochani, 10.07.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – habit. Hills near Kochani, 10.07.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – habit. Hills near Kochani, 10.07.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – inflorescences (spikes). Hills near Kochani, 10.07.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – inflorescence. Hills near Kochani, 10.07.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – inflorescence. Hills near Kochani, 10.07.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – habit. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – inflorescence. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – inflorescence. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – inflorescence. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spikelets. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spikelets. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spikelets. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spikelets. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – stem and leaf. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – stem and leaf. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – stem and leaf. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – habit. Osogovo – village of Rajchani region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spikes. Osogovo – village of Rajchani region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spike. Osogovo – village of Rajchani region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spike. Osogovo – village of Rajchani region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – spikelets. Osogovo – village of Rajchani region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – stem and leaf. Osogovo – village of Rajchani region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae – lower part of plant. Osogovo – village of Rajchani region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Gramineae (Poaceae) – key to genera. Tutin, T.G. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1980). Flora Europaea. Volume 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 118 – 124.

Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:424080-1 [Accessed 15.01.2025].

Taeniatherum Nevski. Humphries, C.J. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1980). Flora Europaea. Volume 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 205 – 206.

Last update: 15.01.2025.