SPECIES DESCRIPTION
LIMONIUM GRABUSAE
Family and Genus:- See- PLUMBAGINACEAE
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Limonium (Gr) Meadow-plant. A name used by the Greek physician
and botanist Dioscorides.
Grabusae (L) Named after Grabusa (= Gramvousa), an islet near Crete
General description:- Glabrous perennial, forming a sub-shrub 15-35 cm tall, with
few erect stems and a robust tap- root.
Caudices:-
1) 4-9 cm long, loosely branched and densely spirally leafy with withered leaves,
living leaves in rosettes at apices.
Stems:-
1) 10-30 cm long, glaucous, slightly flexuous, verrucate, branching begins above the
base of the stems.
2) Branches:
a) sterile, only 1-3 per stem, 1-5 cm long, straight to slightly curved,
unbranched.
b) fertile, 3-8 cm long, slightly arched to straight, directed obliquely upwards,
forming branching angles of 35°- 50°, normally unbranched.
Leaves:-
1) Fleshy, glaucous, flat, verrucate to tuberculate with crateriform glands, 20-40 x
(3-)5-10 mm, spathulate to oblanceolate, apex obtuse to round, sometimes
retuse, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, trullate or obtrullate in outline.
2) Spikes, 20-80 mm long, arched, inserted obliquely or spreading.
a) spikelets 7.5-8.2 mm long, composed of 1-3 flowers, very remotely arranged
with 1-4 per 2 cm.
3) Bracts.
a) outer, 2.1-2.3 x 2.0-2.2 mm, triangular-elliptic, obtuse; bract margin broadly
membranous, central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base,
acuminate.
b) middle, membranous, 2.2-2.6 x 1.3-1.9 mm, oblong to obovate-elliptic,
rounded.
c) inner, 5.9-6.5 x 3.3-4.0 mm, oblong-obovate, obtuse to rounded, margin
broadly membranous; central part fleshy, slightly tuberculate, 4.3-5.0 x 2.0-
3.0 mm, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 1.0-1.2 mm long
not reaching the upper margin.
4) Calyx, 5.4-6.0 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0-1.5 mm.
a) tube, shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending near the upper margin of lobes.
b) lobes, ca. 0.7 × 0.8 mm, semi-elliptic.
5) Corolla lilac.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, 20-40 x 6-10 mm, spathulate to oblanceolate, warty to tuberculate,
1-nerved,
2) Stems, few, warty,
3) Branches, sterile some,
4) Spikes, 20-80 mm long,
a) spikelets 7.5-8.2 mm long, 1-3-flowered, arranged 1-4 in 2 cm apart,
5) Bracts:
a) lower, 2.1-2.3 × 2.0-2.2 mm, triangular-elliptic,
b) middle, 2.2-2.6 × 1.3-1.9 mm,
c) upper, 5.9-6.5 × 3.3-4.0 mm, oblong-obovate, margin broadly membranous,
6) Calyx, 5.4-6.0 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm protruding from upper bract,
a) tube, shortly hairy,
b) lobes, ca.1.7× 0.8 mm, semi-elliptic.
Habitat:- Calcareous rocky coast.
Distribution:- Restricted to Gramvousa, islet of northwest Crete
Flowering time:- May-July
Photos:- Unavailable
