COTONEASTER CRETICUS

Family and Genus:- See- ROSACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Cotoneaster nummularius

Meaning:- Cotoneaster (L) Wild-quince

Creticus (L) From Crete, Cretan.

General description:- Erect, deciduous shrub

Stems:-

1) Up to 1·5 m, but sometimes dwarfed by exposure; young twigs grey-tomentose.

Leaves:-

1) 1-2·5 x 0·9-2·2 cm, broadly elliptical, obovate, or suborbicular, obtuse,

mucronate, sometimes emarginate, sparsely hairy above when young, densely

tomentose, beneath.

2) Petiole, 1·5-2·5 mm, tomentose.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, 3- to 7-flowered, dense.

2) Hypanthium and calyx tomentose.

Fruit:-

1) c. 8 mm, subglobose, red, whitish-pubescent when young, becoming glabrous.

2) Pyrenes, 2.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, persistently tomentose beneath.

2) Inflorescence, dense.

3) Hypanthium and sepals tomentose.

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Habitat:- Crevices and ledges of limestone cliffs, gorges, screes, thorncushion

communities in dolines. (400-)900-1900 m.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic from the four main massifs where it is sparse and

very rare.

Flowering time:- Mid-May to early June.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons