ZYGOPHYLLUM ALBUM

Family and Genus:- See- ZYGOPHYLLACEAE

Common Names:- Bean-caper

Homotypic Synonyms:- Tetraena alba

Meaning:- Zygophyllum (Gr) Yolked-leaves, with conspicuously paired leaves.

Album (L) Bright, dead-white.

General description:- A much-branched shrublet.

Stems:-

1) 30-100 cm. older stems and branches with rough, greyish bark.

2) Twigs, terete, somewhat fleshy, curled or ruffled and crispate-puberulent.

Leaves:-

1) Opposite, succulent, glaucous, consisting of 2 shortly cylindrical leaflets 5-10

mm and a similar petiole, (resembling short sausages).

Flowers:-

1) Solitary, subsessile.

2) Sepals, 5, c. 3 mm, oblong-ovate, obtuse.

3) Petals, 5, c. 5 mm, with a narrow claw and ovate limb, white.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 8-10 mm. obovoid, sharply 5-angled.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, with 1 pair of leaflets.

2) Plant, crispate-puberulent.

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Habitat:- Sandy, gravelly and rocky coastal habitats, sometimes in saltmarshes, 0-

30 m.

Distribution:- Widespread in the Middle East to Pakistan, N & NE Africa, Cyprus

and S Spain. In Greece confined to the hot and dry SE Aegean area. Limited

distribution on Crete, known only from the extreme south eastern corner and the

islands of Koufonisi, Krysi and Gavdos. Rare.

Flowering time:- Mar-May.

Photos by:- Jan Jansen