HORSTRISSEA DOLINICOLA

Family and Genus:- See- UMBELLIFERAE

Common Name:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Horstrissea (L) For Horst Risse, German botanist who died young in

1989.

Dolinicola (L) Probable reference to it's habitat - doline bottoms.

General description:- Perennial with a fusiform to cylindrical taproot

Stem:-

1) And petioles mostly underground and ± flexuous, only 2-5 cm appearing above

ground.

Leaves:-

1) Up to 7, in the springtime growing upwards through the soil.

2) 2 or 3-ternate; ultimate segments, 4-7 x 1-2 mm, dark green, slightly fleshy.

3) Petioles, branching 2-3 times before they reach ground level with their ultimate

divisions.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, terminal, almost globular, 10-15 mm wide.

2) Umbel, with 5-8 rays and accessory umbels;

a) umbellule consisting of 6-15 flowers,

3) Bracts and bractlets, 5 or 6.

4) Petals, minute, incurved, white or pinkish.

Fruit:-

1) c. 3 x 2 mm, broadly ellipsoid, scarcely compressed, with low, broad ridges.

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Habitat:- Limestone areas at the bottom of dolines which descend towards a

cavern with deep, tough cambisol (young soil in a continuous process of

pedological maturation)

Distribution:- Endemic to the Psiloritis massif central Crete 1500 m.

Flowering time:- July-Aug..

Photos by:- Manolis Afrathianakis and Zacharias Angourakis

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Endangered (EN) according

to the Red Data Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of Greece (1995).

IUCN 1997 Record it as Endangered (EN)

Plant species with restricted geographical distribution.