KICKXIA ELATINE

Family and Genus:- See- PLANTAGINACEAE

Common Names:- Sharp-leaved fluellen

Homotypic Synonyms:- Linaria elatine, Kickxia elatine ssp. sieberi, Linaria

sieberi.

Meaning:- Kickxia (L) For Jean Jaques Kickx (1775-1831) Belgian cryptogamic

botanist.

Elatine (Gr) Little-conifer, of pine woods.

General description:- Low to short spreading annual or perennial.

Stems:-

1) Slender, branched from the base, sometimes rooting at the nodes, glandular-

hairy.

Leaves:-

1) Ovate, sagittate or hastate:

a) petiole, not more than half as long as the lamina.

Flowers:-

1) Arising singly from the axils of the leaves, yellowish or bluish with a violet upper

lip, 7-15 mm long.

2) Spur, more or less straight, peduncles long, hairy.

3) Calyx-lobes, lanceolate, acuminate.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 4-4·5 mm, subglobose, thin-walled.

2) Seeds, valveolate.

Key features:-

1) Seeds, alveolate.

2) Wall of capsule, thin, not rigid.

3) Spur, ± straight.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Fallow and harvested fields, vineyards, wasteground. 0-600(-1300) m.

Distribution:- Much of Europe and SW Asia, Widespread across the

Mediterranean region. Somewhat limited distribution across Crete.

Flowering time:- (Apr-) May-Sept

Photos by:- Steve Lenton