HELIANTHEMUM SYRIACUM

Family:- CISTACEAE/Subgen. HELIANTHEMUM/Sect. ARGYROLEPIS

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Cistus lavandulifolius var. syriacus, Cistus syriacus, Halimium

syriacum, Helianthemum lavandulifolium var. syriacum, Helianthemum

racemosum var. syriacum.

Meaning:- Helianthemum (Gr) Sun-flower.

Syriacum (L) Syrian. from Syria.

General description:- Small shrub densely grey-tomentose.

Stem:-

1) 10-50 cm.

Leaves:-

1) 10-50 x 3-8 mm, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acute, with revolute margins,

greyish-green and appressed-tomentose above, white-tomentose beneath.

2) Stipules, sometimes caducous.

Flowers:-

1) Many, in dense cymes divided from the base into 3-5 branches.

2) Petals, 5-10 mm, yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, ellipsoid-trigonous. shorter than the calyx.

Key features:-

1) Leaves and sepals without peltate scales.

2) Inflorescence corymbose.

Habitat:- Rocky slopes with Dry open shrubby vegetation, scrubland vegetation,

sometimes gregarious, (with Cistus spp.), after fire in Pinus halopensis woodland.

0-600 m.

Distribution:- S Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt. Rare on Crete known only

from a few scattered locations.

Flowering time:- Apr to early June.

Photos by:- Kind permission of Saxifraga - Free Nature Images