SPECIES DESCRIPTION
ORMOSOLENIA ALPINA
Family and Genus:- See UMBELLIFERAE
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- Ormoselenia cretica, Peucedanum pisidicum
Meaning:- Ormosolenia Meaning unclear, Ormo = necklace-like, Solenia ?
tubular.
Alpinas (L) Of upland or mountainous regions, alpine, of the high alps.
General description:- Glabrous, glaucous perennial with ± creeping rhizome.
Stems:-
1) 5-20 cm, flexuous simple or sparingly branched.
Leaves:-
1) 2-4 cm, all nearly basal;
a) blade, simple or usually pinnate with 1 or 2 pairs of suborbicular, palmately
lobed leaflets.
Flowers:-
1) Rays, 3-5, smooth and glabrous, unequal.
2) Bracts, and bractlets lacking.
3) Petals, greenish-white or yellowish.
Fruit:-
1) 5-7 x 3-5 mm elliptic-ovate.
a) wings, c. 0.6 mm.
Key features:-
1) Cauline leaves, absent.
Habitat:- Limestone screes and rocky slopes, 1800-2400 m.
Distribution:- A rare species, outside Crete reported from a few localities in SW.
Anatolia. Rare on Crete known only from the Lefka Ori mountains. but it's ID is
doubtful.
Flowering time:- Mid-June to late July.
Photos by:- Philippa Dean
