HELICHRYSUM ORIENTALE

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE/Sect. HELICHRYSUM

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Gnaphalium elegans, Gnaphalium orientale

Meaning:- Helichrysum (Gr) Golden-sun.

Orientale (L) Eastern, oriental, of the East.

General description:- Short, white-woolly perennial.

Stems:-

1) 12-30 cm. erect or ascending from the branched woody stock, densely lanate.

Leaves:-

1) Flat, lanate.

a) basal, 20-60 mm, usually crowded, oblong-spathulate, obtuse, narrowed into

the long petiole.

b) upper, shorter and narrower.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, 2-8 cm across.

2) Involucre, 7-10 mm diam., hemispherical, shining yellow.

a) inner bracts, at least 3 times as long as the outer, linear-spathulate.

b) outer bracts, ovate-orbicular, glabrous.

Fruit:-

1) Pappus, scabrid, plumose.

Key features:-

1) All or most of the leaves flat, their margins not revolute

2) Involucre, yellow, 7-10 mm diam.

3) Caespitose or woody perennial.

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Habitat:- Crevices of limestone cliffs, open dry shrubby vegetation. 0-1200 m. also

on small islands.

Distribution:- Greece, Aegean Is. and Crete. Widely scattered but uncommon on

Crete. Mainly in the east and west.

Flowering time:- Mid-Apr to mid-June, occasionally later

Photos by:- Yannis Zacharakis