DAPHNE JASMINEA

Family and Genus:- See-THYMELAEACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Daphne (Gr) Old name for bay-laurel.

Jasminea (L) Resembling Jasminum. Latinised from the Persian name

Yasemin for perfumed plants.

General description:- Small, compact shrublet,

Stem;-

1) Often rigid, gnarled or tortuous, appressed to the underlying rock.

Leaves:-

1) 4-12 x 2-3 mm, alternate on long shoots, in tufts on short shoots, narrowly

obovate to oblanceolate, often mucronate, glabrous, glaucous.

Flowers:-

1) Subsessile, solitary or in small terminal clusters of 2 or 3, white or cream.

or usually flushed purplish-pink at least outside.

2) Perianth tube, c. 10 mm, slender, glabrous or appressed-puberulent, segments

narrowly triangular, acute.

Fruit:-

1) Drupe, exposed at maturity; exocarp succulent, rarely coriaceous.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, 4-12 x 2-3 mm, evergreen, ± coriaceous, mucronate.

2) Flowers, solitary or in terminal pairs.

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Habitat:- Crevices and ledges of limestone cliffs, often in semi-shade in gorges. 50-

1100 (-1400) m.

Distribution:- Restricted to Greece and Cyrenaica (NE Libya). On Crete known

only from the SW. Rare.

Flowering time:- Apr to early June and probably also in the autumn.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis