SYMPHYTUM CRETICUM

Family:- BORAGINACEAE

Common Names:- Cretan gorge comfrey

Synonyms:- Borago cretica, Procopiania cretica, Psilostemon creticus,

Trachystemon creticus.

Meaning:- Symphytum (Gr) Growing-together-plant. A name used by the Greek

physician and botanist Dioscorides for healing plants, including comfrey.

Creticum (L) Cretan, from Crete.

General description:- Perennial, more or less branched herb.

Stems:-

a) 15-45 cm.

b) sparingly branched.

c) with patent, rather soft bristles mixed with much smaller hairs especially

above.

Leaves:-

1) Blade:

a) elliptic-ovate, often almost heart-shaped (subcordate).

b) stalked (petiolate).

c) upper stalkless (sessile), extending down the stem (decurrent).

Flowers:-

1) Cymes:

a) many-flowered.

2) Calyx:

a) 4·5-7(-8) mm.

b) lobed to 1/2-4/5.

c) lobes acute.

3) Corolla:

a) blue-violet, rarely white.

b) tube, (2-)2·5-4(-4·5) mm.

c) lobes, 2 1/3 to 4 1/2 times as long as tube, patent, not contorted, only slightly

recurved in the uppermost part.

4) Scales:

a) narrowly lance to awl-shaped (lanceolate-subulate).

b) marginal papillae (small nipple-like projections) not more than 1½ times as

long as wide.

5) Stamens:

a) 9-11(-14) mm.

b) hairless or with minute lateral hairs at the base.

c) without basal scales, or the scales rarely with a minute, unilateral, fringe of

very short hairs.

d) anthers 1·5-3(-3·5) mm.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets:

a) ovoid.

b) erect, sometimes curved.

c) usually warty (verruculose) and often wrinkled (rugose).

d) concave at the base with a thickened collar-like ring.

Key features:-

1) Corolla-tube 2-4·5 mm.

2) Lobes not contorted.

3) Marginal papillae of corolla-scales not more than 1½ times as long as wide.

Habitat:- Rocky habitats and calcareous cliffs, ledges and fine debris, shady rocky

places. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- S Greece, S Aegean Is., Crete. Mainly in the E. and W. Of Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis