MINUARTIA ATTICA subsp. IDAEA

Family:- CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Minuartia verna ssp. idaea

Meaning:- Minuartia (L) For Jaun Minuart (1693-1768), botanical writer of

Barcelona.

Idaea (L) From around mount Ida.

General description:- Perennial plant, with a woody base, laxly tufted

(caespitose), hairless (glabrous).

Stems:-

1) 5-10 cm., downy, glandular, with 1-7 flowers.

Leaves:-

1) Up to 10 mm narrow, parallel-sided or tapering from the base to the apex or

thread-like.

Flower:-

1) Cymes, lax, few- to many-flowered (3-20 flowers).

2) Stalks, (pedicels) longer than sepals.

3) Sepals, 2-5 mm ovate-lanceolate, usually glandular-pubescent.

4) Petals acute, widest below the middle, more or less ½-1½ times as long as the

sepals.

5) Anthers reddish.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, equalling or slightly exceeding the sepals.

2) Seeds, 0·5-1 mm, brown, varying from almost smooth to having small, wart-like

projections.

3) Shedding pollen before the stigma is receptive.

Key features:-

1) Leaves somewhat recurved but never directed towards one side (secund).

2) Stems not black below.

3) Petals ovate, acute.

4) Plant woody below, covered with a waxy bloom (glaucous).

5) Sepals (2-)3-5 mm.

6) Leaves ± rigid.

Habitat:- Rocky slopes, mainly on limestone, screes, open woodland. 700-2400 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to Crete, Karpathos and the East Aegean Islands.

Flowering time:- May-Aug.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis