ONONIS TALAVERAE

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Sect. NATRIX

Common Names:- Large yellow restharrow

Homotypic Synonyms:- None.

Meaning:- Ononis (Gr) A classical name used by the Greek physician

Dioscorides.

Talaverae (L) From Talavera, Spain.

General description:- Often a procumbent, much-branched dwarf shrub.

Stems:-

1) 20-60 cm, with very dense glandular hairs 0·2-0·5 mm and sometimes with

longer eglandular hairs.

Leaves:-

1) Comprising of 3 leaflets, ovate to linear.

2) Lower, 1- to 3-foliolate, leaflets 2-5(-8) mm.

Flowers:-

1) In lax leafy panicles, the primary branches 1-flowered.

2) Calyx-teeth, 1·5-2·5 times as long as the tube.

3) Corolla, 6-12 mm, yellow, frequently with red or violet veins.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 10-12 mm.

2) Seeds, greyish-brown, smooth.

Key features:-

1) Leaflets, 2-5(-8) mm.

2) Corolla, 6-12 mm.

3) Seeds, greyish-brown, smooth.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Coastal flats and grey dunes, sometimes along roads, tracks and in

ruderal habitats some distance inland. 0-100(-400) m.

Distribution:- Rare in the Aegean area, known from S Spain and NW Africa On

Crete limited to the central N & S coastal areas and the islands of Gavdos and

Gaidouronisi.

Flowering time:- Mar-June.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis