RUTA CHALEPENSIS Subsp CHALEPENSIS
Includind:- Ruta chalepensis subsp. fumariifolia
Family and Genus:- See- RUTACEAE
Common Names:- Fringed Rue
Homotypic Synonyms:- Ruta angustifolia subsp. bracteosa, Ruta bracteosa.
Meaning:- Ruta (Gr) Unpleasantness, the ancient Greek name for rue.
Chalepensis (L) From the Arabic name for Aleppo.
General description:- Herbaceous, erect, glabrous and ± glaucous, foul-smelling
subshrub with a woody stock.
Stem:-
1) 20-60 cm. glabrous, erect, branched, woody at the base and green at the top.
Leaves:-
1) From 12-20 cm, long, alternate, 2-pinnatisect into rather few, oblong to narrowly
obovate, obtuse segments usually, 5-15 mm, pale green.
Flowers:-
1) From 8-15 mm diam. long pedicellate, connate in terminal clusters, bright
yellowish green.
2) Corolla, with 4-5 free petals, with narrow and thin fringes at the edge.
3) Calyx, with 4-5 sepals almost free between them, wide, oval to lanceolate
pointed.
4) Sepals, ovate-deltate.
5) Petals, 6-7 mm, fimbriate, bright yellow to somewhat greenish-yellow.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 5-8 mm, subglobose, hard, with acute lobes.
Key features:-
1) Plant, glabrous throughout.
2) Petals, 6-7 mm, fimbriate,
Habitat:- Dry rocky slopes with dry open shrubby vegetation, cliff ledges, olive
groves. 0-800 m. sometimes higher.
Distribution:- Widespread in the Mediterranean region and SW Asia. Somewhat
limited distribution on Crete mainly in the west and east..
Flowering time:- Mar-June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
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RUTA CHALEPENSIS subsp. FUMARIFOLIA Back to Top
Homotypic Synonyms:- Ruta. fumariifolia
Meaning:- Fumariifolia (L) Resembling Fumaria leaves.
Resembling Ruta chalepensis subsp. chalepensis, but differering in the following
characters:-
1) Short, compact and small-leaved.
There are gradual transitions between subsp. chalepensis and subsp.fumarifolia
and the latter is at least partly a modification to hot and dry habitats at low altitude
in the S part of the range of the species. It was described from Cape Sidero in E
Crete based on a collection by Heldreich.1)
1) "Atlas of the Aegean Flora" Book1, Arne Strid 2016.
Habitat:- As for subsp. chalepensis.
Distribution:- Endemic Crete, Karpathos & Kythera
Flowering time:- As for subsp. chalepensis.
Photos by:- Christopher Cheiladakis