MATTHIOLA TRICUSPIDATA

Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE

Common Names:- Three-horned stock

Homotypic Synonyms:- Cheiranthus tricuspidatus, Hesperis tricuspidata,

Triceras tricuspidatum.

Meaning:- Matthiola (L) For Pierandrea Mattioli (1501-77, Italian physician and

botanist.

Tricuspidata (L) With three teeth.

General description:- Low to medium annual, 7-40 cm, covered in loose, rather

woolly hairs.

Stem:-

1) Rather stout, 10-40 cm, often branched from base. whole plant densely

white-tomentose and with scattered, shortly stalked glands.

Leaves:-

1) Sinuate-crenate to pinnatifid.

Flower:-

1) Inflorescence, a lax, few-flowered raceme.

2) Flowers, subsessile.

3) Pedicels, 1-3 mm in fruit.

4) Petals, 18-22 mm, lilac-mauve with a pale yellow base.

Fruit:-

1) Siliculae, usually 30-60 mm, patent, cylindrical, tomentose, with 3 conspicuous

horns at the apex.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- A characteristic species of sandy beaches and dunes, rarely rocky

outcrops and open pinewoods a short distance inland, up to 150 m.

Distribution:- Widespread throughout the Mediterranean, but less common in the

west. On Crete confined mainly to the north coast.

Flowering time:- Mar to mid-June, rarely later.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton