This species with a wide palaeo-subtropical distribution is present in many regions of Italy, from Sicily to the Po Valley. It grows on wet, sandy, usually siliceous soils, from sea level to the hill belt. The species is sporadic in the outer belt of the Sardinian temporary ponds, on sandy soils. The genus name, already used by the ancient Greeks, is of uncertain etymology, perhaps it derives from the island of Cyprus (Kypros); the species is dedicated to the great Florentine botanist Pier Antonio Micheli (1679-1737). Flowering time: July to October.

Italian name(s): Cipero micheliano (Italia), Zigolo del Micheli (Italia).