CRUCIANELLA LATIFOLIA
Including:- Crucianella imbricata
Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Crucianella (L) Little-cross.
Latifolia (L) With broad leaves.
General description:- Slender annual, erect from an often ascending base.
Stems:-
1) 10-30 cm. simple or sparingly branched, quadrangular, retrorsely puberulent at
least below.
Leaves:-
1) In whorls of (4-)6.
a) lowest, short and obovate.
b) middle and upper, 10-22 mm, linear-lanceolate.
c) upper, with revolute margins, scabrid, bluish-green.
Flowers:-
1) Terminal spike long (generally 6-12 cm),
a) narrow, rather lax at least below.
2) Bracts, lanceolate with broad hyaline margins, connate for 1/4 or more.
3) Corolla, 5-7.5 mm, somewhat exceeding the subtending bract, 4-merous, cream
to yellowish-brown.
Fruit:-
1) Mericarps, finely granulate
Key features:-
1) Spike, rather long and lax.
2) Bracts, connate for 1/4 or more.
3) Corolla, 5-7.5, somewhat exceeding the subtending bract.
Habitat:- Open woodland and scrub, rocky places in pastures. 0-1100 m.
occasionally to 1600 m.
Distribution:- Throughout mainland Greece but less common in the interior north. -
Widespread in the Mediterranean region especially in the east. Widespread across
Crete.
Flowering time:- Apr to early July.
Photos by:- Charalambos Chiotelis
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
CRUCIANELLA IMBRICATA Back to Top
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Imbricata (L) Overlapping like tiles
Resembling Crucianella latifolia, but differing in the following characters:-
1) Often smaller with shorter and denser spike;
2) Leaves, somewhat narrower.
3) Bracts free.
4) Corolla, 3-5 mm, shorter than the subtending bract.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, open coniferous woodland, dry grassland and roadsides, 0-700(-1200) m, on various substrates.
Distribution:- In Greece not recorded outside the Aegean area. - Also in W & S Anatolia, Cyprus and W Syria. Sparcely scattered across Crete.
Flowering time:- April-June.
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Imbricata (L) Overlapping like tiles
Resembling Crucianella latifolia, but differing in the following characters:-
1) Often smaller with shorter and denser spike;
2) Leaves, somewhat narrower.
3) Bracts free.
4) Corolla, 3-5 mm, shorter than the subtending bract.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, open coniferous woodland, dry grassland and roadsides, 0-700(-1200) m, on various substrates.
Distribution:- In Greece not recorded outside the Aegean area. - Also in W & S Anatolia, Cyprus and W Syria. Sparcely scattered across Crete.
Flowering time:- April-June.
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