ASPERULA TOURNEFORTII
Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE/Sect. THLIPHTHISA
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- Asperula majorii
Meaning:- Asperula (L) Little-rough-one.
Tournefortii (L) For Joseph Pitton de Toumefort (1656-1708),
renaissance plant systematist.
General description:- Woody-based perennial or subshrub
Stems:-
1) Several, ascending to suberect, 15-30 cm, simple or sparingly branched above,
rather stout, with 4 obscure ridges.
2) Internodes, as long as or shorter than the leaves.
Leaves:-
1) In whorls of (4-)6, 12-15 x 6-10 mm, obovate, detuse, coriaceous, glabrous, grey
or glaucous-pruinose, vein scarcely prominent; margin, weakly rolled toward the
lower side.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, narrowly pyramidal, consisting of several small, capitate cymes,
sparsely pubescent.
2) Corolla, 4-5 mm, infundibuliform, dull yellow, shortly patent-pubescent;
a) tube, c. 3·5 mm.
b) lobes, c. 0·7-1·5 mm, triangular.with an incurved apex.
3) Bracts, about as long as the fruits, lanceolate, hairy, not connate at the base.
4) Stigmas, clavate or linear.
a) style, about as long as the ovary.
Fruit:-
1) Mericarps, 1·5-2 mm, somewhat hispid.
Key features:-
1) Shrub or dwarf shrub, with persistent, linear-lanceolate or wider leaves.
2) Internodes, as long as or shorter than the leaves.
3) Leaves, glaucous, obovate.
Habitat:- Crevices of limestone cliffs, often in gorges, with Centaurea argentea,
Helichrysum orientale, etc. 0-800 m.
Distribution:- Endemic Crete, Saria, Kyklades, Halki & Rhodes. Grows in central and
eastern Crete except for a single population in the Akrofaringo gorge at the northern
end of the Rodopou peninsula.
Flowering time:- Late Apr to early July.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
Status:-
Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997.
Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
