PARIETARIA LUSITANICA
Family and Genus:- See- URTICACEAE
Common Names:- Chickweed-leaved pellitory
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Parietaria (L) Wall-dweller, a name used by the Roman naturalist and
philosopher Pliny.
Lusitanica (L) From Portugal (Lusitania), Portuguese.
General description:- Slender, prostrate to ascending annual
Stems:-
1) 5-25(-30) cm. usually much-branched towards the base.
Leaves:-
1) 0.5-2.5 x 0.3-1.5 cm, broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute or rarely obtuse,
attenuate at the base.
2) Petiole, 0.3-1.5 cm, shorter than the blade.
Flowers:-
1) 3-7 in each cluster.
2) Bracts, equalling or exceeding the perianth in fruit, lanceolate to linear, free or
shortly connate below, not accrescent nor becoming indurated in fruit.
3) Perianth segments;
a) hermaphrodite flowers, only slightly accrescent in fruit and not becoming
tubular.
b) male flowers, 0.5-1 mm, segments oblong-ovate.
c) female flowers, 1-1.5 mm, divided almost to the base with lanceolate,
brownish, rather rigid segements, connivent above in fruit.
Fruit:-
1) 1 mm, pale brown, the apex symmetrical.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, 0.5-2.5 x 0.3-1.5 cm, broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic.
2) Perianth of hermaphrodite flowers only slightly accrescent in fruit and not
becoming tubular.
3) Perianth of female, flowers connivent above in fruit.
4) Petiole, shorter than the lamina.
5) Bracts, linear.
Habitat:- Shady cliff crevices of various substrates, stone walls between terraced
olive groves, field margins and rocky places by streams. 0-500(-1000) m.
Distribution:- Scattered in coastal areas throughout Greece. S and SE Europe, N
Africa, W, SW and C Asia, Somewhat scattered distribution across Crete.
Flowering time:- Apr-June.
Photos by:- Richard Akesson
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
