ARABIS CRETICA

Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE

Common Name:- None

Homotypic Synonym:- Arabis muralis var. cretica, Arabis serpillifolia subsp.

cretica

Meaning:- Arabis (L) Arabian.

Cretica (L) Cretan, from Crete.

General description:- Biennial or perennial, laxly tufted.

Stems:-

1) 5-25 cm, slender, usually flexuous, glabrous or minutely stellate-pubescent.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, long-petiolate, oblong, stellate-pubescent or glabrous, with unbranched

and bifid hairs on the margin.

2) Cauline, 3-5, oblong-ovate, entire, the lower attenuate. the upper rounded at the

base.

Flowers:-

1) 7-16; petals 5-7 mm, pink.

2) Infructescence more or less lax.

Fruit:-

1) Siliqua 35-40 x c. 1·2 mm., equalling the flowers when immature; valves flat, with

a indistinct vein.

2) Seeds unwinged.

Key features:-

1) Cauline leaves1-4; rounded at the base to attenuate-petiolate.

2) Flowers 3-12.

3) Stem pilose.

4) Siliqua usually more than 30 mm; up to 1·2 mm wide.

5) Hairs mostly stellate.

6) Lowermost cauline leaf attenuate at the base.

7) Infructescence lax.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry rocky slopes with open shrubby vegetation, rock ledges, dolines,

mainly on limestone. (500)900-2100 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to Crete, fairly common in Lefka Ori, scattered elsewhere.

Flowering time:- Mar-June.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis