ALKANNA SIEBERI

Family:- BORAGINACEAE

Common Name:- None

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Alkanna (L) From the Arabic, al-henna for Lawsonia inermis, the source

of henna.

Sieberi (L) For the botanist Franz Wilhelm Sieber (1785-1844).

General description:- A short perennial plant with short bristly hairs.

Stem:-

1) 10-30 cm, erect. branched from the base.

Leaves:-

1) With a mixture of tubercle-based setae and short eglandular hairs.

2) Basal, up to 4 cm, oblanceolate, subobtuse.

3) Cauline shorter, lanceolate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, pedunculate, with tubular florets, twice as long as the calyx.

2) Corolla pale pinkish, later turning blue, glabrous outside.

3) Bracts, as long as or slightly longer than the calyx. linear-lanceolate.

4) Calyx, 4-5 mm in flower, 6-7 mm in fruit.eglandular.

5) Limb, c. 4 mm. diam.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets c. 2 mm. diam. rugose or tuberculate.

Key features:-

1) Corolla-limb c. 4 mm diam.

2) Tube twice as long as calyx.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Stony pine woodland, sparse calcareous dry open shrubby vegetation,

maritime sands, abandoned cultivated land, sometimes on rocky hills up to 700 m.

(rarely 1300 m).

Distribution:- Endemic to Crete. Sparsely scattered mainly around southern

coastal areas.

Flowering time:- Mar-Apr.

Photos by:- Yannis Zacharakis and Steve Lenton

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997.

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.