SPECIES DESCRIPTION
LIMONIUM MINOICUM
A dubious species known from a small area in S Kriti and differing from L. creticum
only in the sometimes 3-veined leaves and marginally shorter spikes. (1)
(1) Atlas of the Aegean Flora. Book 1. Arne Strid 2016 page 433
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.
Minoicum (L) Refers to the ancient Minoan civilization from Crete
General description:- Glabrous perennial, forming a sub-shrub 15-35 cm tall, with
few erect stems and a robust tap- root.
Caudices:-
1) 10-30 mm long, branched, living leaves in rosettes at the apices of the caudices.
Stems:-
1) Glaucous, 15-45 cm long, slightly flexuous, rugose, branching begins above the
lower quarter of the stems.
2) Branches:
a) sterile, absent or only 1-2 per stem, 1-7 cm long, more or less straight,
unbranched.
b) fertile branches, 2-12 cm long, straight to slightly arched, directed obliquely
upwards, forming branching angles of 40°-55°, loosely branched in the upper
third.
Leaves:-
1) Coriaceous, grey- green, glaucous, 20-70 x 9-18 mm, spathulate to oblanceolate,
apex obtuse to round, flat, smooth, normally with 1 central nerve and 2 lateral
nerves, gradually tapering into the petiole.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, 20-70 × 9-18 mm, spathulate to oblanceolate, 1-nerved,
2) Stems, few, rugose,
3) Sterile, branches, absent or few,
4) Spikes, 25-60 mm long,
a) spikelets, 5.8-6.3 mm long, 2-4-flowered, arranged 2-5 in 1 cm,
5) Bracts:
a) lower, 1.7-2.5 × 1.8-2.3 mm, triangular-ovate,
b) middle, 8-2.3 × 1.5-2.0 mm, oblong-elliptic,
c) upper, 4.4-5.2 × 3.2-3.8 mm, obovate-elliptic, apex rounded, margin broadly
membranous,
6) Calyx, 4.0-5.1 mm long, from upper bract 1.0-1.5 mm long.
a) tube, sparsely hairy,
b) lobes, ca. 0.6 × 1.0 mm, broadly semi-elliptic.
Habitat:- Rocky coast on calcareous, marly and conglomerate substrates,
sometimes in pebbly localities
Distribution:- Restricted to southeast Crete, between Tsoutsouros and Tertsa
Flowering time:- Apr-June, and perhaps also later.
Photos by:- Christopher Cheiladakis
