ASTRAGALUS CRETICUS subsp. CRETICUS

Including Astragalus dolinicola

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Subgen. TRAGACANTHA

Common Name:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Astracantha cretica

Meaning:- Astragalus (Gr) Ankle-bone, (a plant with knotted roots).

Creticus (L) From Crete.

General description:- A perennial shrub with a low-habit, hummock-shaped and

with many branches.

Stems;-

1) Up to 30 cm, tall.

Leaves:-

1) Imparipinnate, with a stout rhachis protracted into a yellowish spine.

2) Leaflets, 4-7 pairs, 3-7(-9) mm, narrowly elliptic-obovate, densely pubescent with

straight, erecto-patent, simple white hairs.

Flowers:-

1) In dense clusters just below the branch tips.

2) Calyx, 6-9 mm, the teeth slightly shorter than or almost as long as the tube;

completely hidden in dense, white wool, usually splitting to the base in fruit.

3) Bracts, navicular, lanceolate; bracteoles, absent.

4) Corolla, pinkish or occasionally cream; standard, 10-l5 mm, limb, oblong,

sometimes slightly constricted in the middle, with rounded auricles at the base.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, c. 5 mm, narrowly ovoid, densely white-tomentose, single seeded.

Key features:-

1) Standard, with rounded auricles at the base of the limb.

2) Terminal spine of the leaf much longer than the terminal pair of leaflets.

3) Leaflets, sparsely hairy or glabrescent.

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Habitat:- Dry rocky slopes. (700-)1400-2300 m. generally on limestone, sometimes

a dominant constituent of thorncushion vegetaion.

Distribution:- Cretan Endemic. Confined to the three main massifs, where it is

locally common. Absent from Lefka Ori.

Flowering time:- End of June to mid-Aug.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

ASTRAGALUS DOLINICOLA

Homotypic Synonyms:- Astracantha dolinicola

Meaning:- Dolinicola (L) Probable reference to it's habitat - doline bottoms.

Resembling Astracantha cretica, but differering in the following characters

1) Leaves, green, sparsely hairy.

2) Calyx, c. 10 mm, glabrous below, with dense hairs c. 1 mm long in remaining

part, not hidden by indumentum.

3) Corolla, somewhat larger (standard 15-16 mm), pink with purplish veins.

4) Legume, 6.5-7 mm.

Habitat:- Dolines among limestone outcrops, with deep, compressed, basic soil

rich clay. 1400-1500 m.

Distribution:- Rare Cretan Endemic. Confined to the Psiloritis massif.

Flowering time:- Probably from mid-May to end of June.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis