CRUCIANELLA MACROSTACHYA

Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Crucianella (L) Little-cross.

Macrostachya (Gr) Large-spike.

General description:- Herbaceous annual.

Stems:-

1) Up to 60 cm, puberulent-scabrid to glabrous.

Leaves:-

1) 10-25(-35) x 1·5-3(-5) mm, in whorls of 6-8,

a) lower, elliptical.

b) upper, lanceolate to linear, margins revolute.

Flowers:-

1) Sessile, single.

2) Spike, 4-10 cm, somewhat distichous, rather lax.

3) Bracts, 8-10 x 2·5-3·5 mm, lanceolate-acute, not revolute or indurate, free

4) Corolla, 7-9·5 x c. 1·5 mm, 5-lobed, yellow to greenish or reddish, exceeding the

bract.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, often in whorls of more than 4, .

2) Corolla, 6-9·5 x 1·3-2 mm (excluding awn), distinctly exceeding the bracts.

3) Bracts, acute.

4) 1 flower to each bract.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, roadsides and field margins, mostly in

coastal areas. 0-500 m.

Distribution:- Limited distribution in the Aegean region. Fairly rare on Crete mostly

restricted to the Malia and Agios Nikolaos coastal areas. With a few locations in

the west.

Flowering time:- Late Apr to June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton