LUTZIA CRETICA

Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Alyssoides cretica, Alyssum creticum, Lutzia

fruticosa, Scleroptychis cretica, Vesicaria cretica.

Meaning:- Lutzia. Meaning unknown.

Cretica (L) Cretan, from Crete.

General description:- Small perennial plant, diffuse, woody and much-branched at

the base with many leaf-rosettes, grey or white with appressed stellate hairs.

Stems:-

1) Flowering stems up to 20 cm.

Leaves:-

1) In rosettes, blanceolate to obovate. Densely covered in grey or white soft hairs.

Flower:-

1) Petals, yellow, 12-20 mm, entire.

2) Sepals, 7-11 mm.

3) Style, c. 2 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Silicula 10-15 mm, globose or ovoid-globose, densely stellate-pubescent;

a) valves strongly inflated.

Key features:-

1) Silicula, sessile.

2) Sepals, erecto-patent.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Crevices of limestone cliffs, in gorges, occasionally in open dry shrubby

vegetation among boulders at the bases of cliffs. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Endemic Crete, Kasos, Karpathos and Astypalaia. Limited

distribution on Crete. Mainly central and to the East.

Flowering time:- Feb-Apr. fruits persisting until June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton