ASPERULA CRASSULA

Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE/Sect. THLIPHTHISA

Common Name:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Asperula (L) Little rough one.

Crassula (L) Succulent-little-plant.

General description:- Perennial, short, cushion-shaped, woody in the lower part

of the stem, densely grey-velvety.

Stems:-

1) Vermiform, appressed to the ground,creeping.

a) Internodes, short, 2-3(-4) mm long, rarely a few up to 10 mm long.

Leaves:-

1) 5-6 per internode, 2-3 x 1.5-2 mm, elliptical, with revolute margins, lower surface

canaliculate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, short, dense, subcylindrical. subtended by two lanceolate or

clavate bracteoles, longer than the ovary.

2) Corolla, yellowish, 3 mm long; corolla

a) lobes, with an inflexed apex.

3) Style, 1.3-1.5 mm long, bipartite from the middle.

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Habitat:- Rocky slopes and loamy flats of soft limestone and sandstone, with open

phrygana. 0-200(-400) m.

Distribution:- Endemic. Known only from its classical locality, in the NE corner of

Crete and a new location in the NW corner. Rare

Flowering time:- End of Apr to early July.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis

Status

Conservation status (for threatened species): Vulnerable (V) according

to the Red Data Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of Greece (1995) -

Vulnerable (V) according to IUCN 1997.