MISOPATES ORONTIUM subsp. ORONTIUM

Family and Genus:- See- PLANTAGINACEAE

Common Names:- Weasel-snout, Lesser snapdragon.

Homotypic Synonyms:- Agorrhinum orontium, Antirrhinum orontium,

Antirrhinum arvense, Antirrhinum humile, Antirrhinum purpureum, Orontium

arvense.

Meaning:- Misopates (Gr + L) Reluctant to open.

Orontium (L) From the Orontes river, Syria.

General description:- Short to medium, slightly branched annual.

Stem:-

1) (5-)20-50 cm, erect, sparingly branched, glabrous to sparsely hirsute below,

glandular-pubescent above.

Leaves:-

1) Opposite.

a) upper, 20-50 x 2-7 mm, alternate, simple, linear to elliptic, entire,

shortly petiolate, without stipules.

Flower:-

1) Pinkish red, from 9-18 mm long, shortly pedunculate, joined together in loose

terminal racemes.

2) Corolla, 10-17 mm, with 5 petals fused into 2 lips:

a) upper, two-lobed,

b) lower, with three lobes.

3) Calyx, with 5 partly fused, narrow, unequal, very hairy sepals, longer than the

petals.

4) Stamens, 4, unequal.

5) Style, 1, lengthened, finished by 1 swollen stigma.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 8-10 mm, ovoid, gibbous, glandular-hairy. Usually opening by 3 pores.

Key features:-

1) Corolla, 10-17 mm, not exceeding the calyx, usually pink.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Field margins, olive groves, dry open shrubby vegetation, open woodland,

sandy coastal habitats. 0-600(-900) m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece, but rare in the interior north. - Widespread in the

Mediterranean region and SW Asia. Widespread and fairly common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton