CLINOPODIUM CRETICUM

Family and Genus:- See-  LABIATAE                         

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Calamintha cretica, Melissa cretica, Satureja cretica

Meaning:- Clinopodium (Gr) Bed-foot (for the knob shaped appearance of the
inflorescence.
                  Creticum (L) Cretan, from Crete.

General description:- Densely covered in soft grey hairs, perennial

Stems:-
1) 10-30 cm, woody at the base.

Leaves:-
1) 6-15 × 6-10 mm, broadly ovate, obtuse, tomentose or villous-tomentose,
    subentire or shallowly crenate-serrate with up to 5 teeth on each side.

Flowers:-
1) Cymes, 1- to 3(-6)-flowered.
2) Peduncle, 0-4 mm, secondary branches usually absent.
3) Calyx, 4-5 mm, with dense, long, patent hairs, the hairs in the mouth exserted,
    a) upper teeth, 0·7-1 mm.
    b) lower teeth, c. 2 mm, densely patent-pubescent.
4) Corolla, c. 10 mm, white.

Fruit:-
1) Nutlets, 4, 1-seeded.

Key features:-
1) Calyx, 3-10 mm, with dense, long, patent hairs.
2) Corolla, not more than 22 mm.
3) Leaves, densely grey-tomentose. 

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Ledges of limestone cliffs in gorges, seasonally damp rocky slopes and
screes with open woodland of Acer sempervirens, Cupressus sempervirens etc.
(50-) 200-1600 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to Lefka Ori west Crete,

Flowering time:- June-Aug

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis

Status:-
Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997.
Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION