SPECIES DESCRIPTION
LIMONIUM OLIGOTRICHUM
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.
Oligotrichum (L) Refers to the presence of just a few hairs on the
upper part of the inner bract.
General description:- Glabrous perennial, forming a sub-shrub 10-30 cm tall, with
few ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root.
Caudices:-
1) 15-60 mm long, densely branched, more or less densely spirally leafy in the
upper half.
Stems:-
1) 8-30 cm long, tuberculate with many crateriform glands or verrucate with many
crescent-shaped glands,
grey-glaucous, straight to slightly flexuous, branching begins above the lower
quarter.
2) Branches:
a) sterile, few, 2-6 per stem, 1-6 cm long, straight, unbranched.
b) fertile, 2-12 cm long, straight to slightly arched, directed obliquely upwards,
forming branching angles of 35°-60°, short branches undivided, long branches
loosely branched.
Leaves:-
1) Fleshy to coriaceous, rigid, tuberculate with many crateriform glands, glaucous,
10-50 x 1.5-4.0 mm, narrowly oblanceolate, apex obtuse, mucronulate, often
canaliculated in cross-section, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the
petiole.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, obtrullate or obtriangular in outline.
2) Spikes, 15-50 mm long, straight to slightly arched, erect to directed obliquely
upwards; axis of the spike with many crateriform glands.
a) spikelets, 7.5-8.5 mm long, composed of 1-3 flowers, remotely arranged with
2-3 per cm, often laterally slightly curved near the base.
3) Bracts:-
a) outer, 2.5-3.1 x 2.0-2.3 mm, more or less narrowly triangular-ovate, obtuse;
margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only on
the base, acuminate.
b) middle, membranous, 2.9-3.8 mm x 1.8-2.0 mm, oblong-elliptic, rounded.
c) inner, 7.5-8.0 x 3.3-4.0 mm, oblong-elliptical, round to obtuse, margin broadly
membranous, on the upper part with some short hairs; central part fleshy,
5.2-6.0 x 2.1-2.6 mm, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip,
0.8-1.1 mm long, not reaching the upper margin.
4) Calyx, 5.8-7.0 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0-1.2 mm.
a) tube, covered with few short hairs near the base or sparsely shortly hairy, with
5 ribs ending above the base of lobes;
b) lobes, ca. 0.7 × 1.0 mm, broadly semi- elliptic.
5) Corolla lilac.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, 10-50 x 1.5-4.0 mm, narrowly oblanceolate, submarginate, tuberculate,
often canaliculate, 1-nerved,
2) Stems, few, tuberculate.
3) Sterile branches, few,
4) Spikes, 15-50 mm long.
a) spikelets, 7.5-8.5 mm long, 1-3-flowered, arranged 2-3 in 1 cm.
5) Bracts
a) lower, 2.5-3.1 x 2.0-2.3 mm, narrowly triangular-ovate,
b) middle, 2.9-3.8 x 1.8-2.0 mm,
c) upper, 7.5-8.0 x 3.3-4.0 mm, oblong-elliptic, sparsely hairy above, margin
broadly membranous,
6) Calyx, 5.8-7.0 mm long, protruding from the upper bract 1.0-1.2 mm,
a) tube, sparsely hairy,
b) lobes, ca. 0.7 × 1.0 mm, broadly semi-elliptic.
Habitat:- Coastal limestone cliffs, occasionally in dry open shrubby vegetation on
rocky slopes up to 100 m
Distribution:- Endemic to the Aegean area and known only from a few collections.
Very rare on Crete, currently known from only one location in the far east.
Flowering time:- June-July.
Photos:- Currently unavailable
