RUTA GRAVEOLENS

Family and Genus:- See- RUTACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Ruta (Gr) Unpleasantness, the ancient Greek name for rue.

Graveolens (L) Strong smelling, heavily scented, rank-smelling.

General description:- Glabrous throughout.

Stem:-

1) 14-45 cm.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, more or less long-petiolate.

2) Uppermost, subsessile; ultimate segments 2-9 mm wide, lanceolate to narrowly

oblong or obovate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, rather lax.

2) Pedicels, as long as or longer than the capsule.

3) Bracts, lanceolate, leaf-like.

4) Sepals, lanceolate, acute.

5) Petals, oblong-ovate, denticulate, undulate.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, glabrous; segments somewhat narrowed above to an obtuse apex.

Key features:-

1) Petals, denticulate, without long cilia.

2) Sepals, lanceolate, acute.

3) Pedicels, slightly longer that the capsule.

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Habitat:- Rocky slopes with scrub and open woodland. 0-700(-1200) m.

Distribution:- Scattered in W Greece, - Probably native to the Balkans and Crimea,

widely cultivated as an ornamental or for medicinal and culinary purposes,

naturalised in the Mediterranean region.Very rare on Crete currently known from

only one location in the SW.

Flowering time:- Apr-June.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons