ARBUTUS ANDRACHNE

Family and Genus:- See- ERICACEAE

Common Names:- Eastern strawberry tree.

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Arbutus (L) Ancient Latin arbutus or Celtic arboise for a rough fruit.

Andrachne (Gr) The ancient Greek name for an evergreen shrub.

General description:- Usually a bushy shrub 1·5-3 m, occasionally a small tree

up to 12 m.

Bark:-

1) Smooth, peeling off in papery sheets, orange-red; young twigs glabrous.

Leaves:-

1) 3-6 cm wide, less than twice as long as wide, often entire; petiole, 15-30 mm.

Flowers:-

1) Panicle, erect, appearing in spring.

2) Calyx, 2·5 mm, with ovate-rhombic, acute lobes.

Fruit:-

1) Berry, 8-12 mm, reticulate-sulcate, orange.

Key features:-

1) Young twigs glabrous.

2) Flowers produced in the spring.

3) Berry reticulate sulcate, but without papillae.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- An important constituent of scrubland vegetation and mixed scrub, also

as undergrowth in open woodland, mostly on non-calcareous substrates. 0-800(-

1200) m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece, but rare in the interior N, - E Mediterranean area

from Greece to W Syria and e Black sea coast. Not too common on Crete limited

distribution in the central and western area.

Flowering time:- Mar to early May.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis