CENTRANTHUS CALCITRAPAE

Family and Genus:- See- VALERIANACEAE/Sect. CALCITRAPA

Common Name:- Pink valerian

Homotypic Synonyms:- Valeriana calcitrapae

Meaning:- Centranthus (Gr) Spur-flower.

Calcitrapae (L) Caltrop, Old English, calcatrippe, for plants catching

on one's feet.

General description:- Herbaceous, glabrous annual,

Stems:-

1) 10-30 cm tall, erect, rounded, glabrous, finely striated, fistulose, simple or

branched.

Leaves:-

1) 10-90 x 6-40 mm,

2) Lower, simple or lobed, with a long petiole and obovate, crenate blade

3) Cauline, subsessile, ± pinnatisect.

Flowers:-

1) 2 mm diam, joined together in dense, one or few corymbose cymes.

2) Corolla, with 5 petals, pink;

a) tube, 2-3 mm long, gibbous at base.

b) limb, 5-lobed.

3) Calyx teeth, forming a conspicuous, plumose pappus in fruit.

4) Stamen, solitary.

5) Ovary, inferior.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, with a persistent feathery calyx.

Key features:-

1) At least the upper leaves ± divided.

2) Corolla-tube, c. 2 mm, gibbous.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Cliff ledges and screes, seasonally damp places in dry open shrubby

vegetation and open coniferous woodland. 0-700(-1400) m.

Distribution:- Ionian Islands, Peloponnisos. - Mediterranean region. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton