GALIUM EXTENSUM
Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE/G. MULLUGO Group
Identifying Greek taxa in the Galium mollugo group was moderately difficult until
Krendl (1988) made it virtually impossible by distinguishing 41 species, most of
them new and often with obscure morphological differences. In VPG an attempt was
made to merge them into recognizable units. However, taxonomy of the group
remains unsettled. (1)
(1) Atlas of the Aegean Flora. Book 1. Arne Strid 2016 page 517
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Galium (Gr) Milk.
Extensum (L) Reaching out, extended.
General description:- Woody-based perennial.
Stems:-
1) Suberect, 30-80 cm, sparingly branched, glabrous or patent-puberulent below,
with long intemodes.
Leaves:-
1) In whorls of 6-8(-10), 10-15 x c. 2 mm, narrowly oblanceolate, shortly acuminate,
with inconspicuous marginal teeth.
Flower:-
1) Inflorescence, long and many-flowered.
2) Partial inflorescences, narrowly pyramidal.
3) Pedicels, 1-4 mm, erecto-patent.
4) Corolla, 3-4 mm in diam., white or pinkish;
a) lobes, spreading, with arista, c. 0.5 mm.
5) Anthers, dark brown to purplish-black.
Fruit:-
1) Mericarps, dark brown.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, lanceolate.
2) Corolla lobes, rather abruptly contracted into a ± incurved arista.
3) Arista, of corolla lobes c. 1/3 as long as the lobe.
Habitat:- Dry rocky and stoy slopes with dry open shrubby vegetation and open
woodland, gorges and road embankments mostly on limestone. 10-1400 m.
Distribution:- Endemic Crete. Confined to the areas around the four main massifs.
Flowering time:- Apr-June.
Photos by:- Christopher Cheiladakis
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
