SPECIES DESCRIPTION
CLYPEOLA JONTHLASPI subsp. JONTHLASPI
Including:- Subsp. microcarpa
Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE
Common Names:- Clypeola
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Clypeola (L) Shield (the shape of the fruit).
Jonthlaspi (Gr) Meaning unclear.
General description:- Slender, erect annual, whole plant greyish green from
appressed, stellate hairs.
Stems:-
1) Usually 5-20 cm tall.
2) Unbranched or sparingly so from the base.
Leaves:-
1) Sessile, linear-oblanceolate.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence at anthesis, elongating to form a cylindrical
raceme.
2) Petals small (1-1.5 mm), pale yellow turning whitish.
3) Pedicels sharply recurved in fruit.
Fruit:-
1) Siliculae 3.5-5 mm;
2) Hairs on the disc usually numerous, long, sharply acute.
3) Hairs on the wings cylindrical, rounded to acute at the apex.
4) Style up to 0·25 mm.
Key features:-
1) Silicula 2-5 mm, glabrous or pubescent.
2) Petals 1-2 mm.
3) Fruiting racemes up to 15 cm.
Variable in the size and pubescence of the silicula, but most of the variants occur
sporadically throughout the range of the species. Some of these variants are
recognized as subspecies.
Habitat:- Dry, open open dry shrubby vegetation, stony hillsides, fallow fields and
wasteground, along tracks in mountains. 0-2000 m.
Distribution:- Throughout Greece, Mediterranean region and SW Asia. Fairly
widespread on Crete
Flowering time:- Mar to mid-June.
Photos by:- Marinos Gogolos
CLYPEOLA JONTHLASPI subsp. MICROCARPA
Synonyms:- None
Microcarpa (Gr) Small fruited.
Resembling Subsp. jonthlaspi , but differering in the following characters:
1) Most leaves ± petiolate, spathulate.
2) Fruiting racemes rarely more than 6 cm, dense;
3) Siliculae 2-3 mm; hairs on the disc usually scattered, short, rounded to widened
at the apex, ± clavate.
Comment:-
In the Aegean area it is rather distinct morphologically, but there appears to be no
geographical or ecological separation. 1)
1) "Atlas of the Aegean Flora" Book1, Arne Strid 2016.
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