Globularia L.
Genus composed of about 31 species, of which 5 grow in North Africa, with a Mediterranean and Saharan distribution. Two of them (G. liouvillei Jahand. & Maire and G. greuteri Mateos & Valdés) have herbaceous stems and branches, while the other 3 are shrubs or subshrubs. Of these, the smallest is G. nainii Batt., a subshrub up to 0.6 m in height, with very tortuous stems, creeping, which differs from the 2 previous species by its smaller size and yellow flowers. It is an endemic species to the Saharan Morocco, Middle Atlas, High Atlas and middle Atlantic Morocco (Aouz). It is rare species. Currently, it has not been assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Key to species
1 Floral capitula yellow Globularia nainii
1 Floral capitula blue 2
2 Leaves entire or trilobed in the upper half. Involucre glabrous, with a few hairs on the margin of the scales. Subshrub up to 1 m in height Globularia alypum
2 Leaves entire, obovate or obovate-spatulate. Involucre covered with whitish lanate hairs. Subshrub up to 45(60) cm in height Globularia arabica
Updated by: B. Valdés & J. Charco.