SPECIES DESCRIPTION
VALANTIA HISPIDA
Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE
Common Names:- Valantia
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Valantia (L) For Sebastien Vaillant (Valantius) (1669-1722), French
physician and botanist.
Hispida (L) Bristly, with stiff hairs.
General description:- Small annual, usually branched from base, procumbent
to suberect,
Stems:-
1) 5-20 cm, ± hispid throughout, especially above.
a) lower internodes, up to 25 mm,
Leaves:-
1) In whorls of 4, 6-10 x 2-3·5 mm, spathulate to oblong-oblanceolate, finally often
reflexed. mucronate, 1-veined.
Flowers:-
1) In whorls of 4, minute, in short, 3-flowered axillary cymes.
a) central, hermaphrodite and 4-merous.
b) lateral, male and 3-merous, usually yellowish.
2) Peduncles and pedicels, recurved, coalescent and accrescent at fruiting time.
covering the fruit as a strongly hispid crest;
a) lateral homs, lacking.
Fruit:-
1) Mericarps, usually 2, papillose to hispidulous.
Key features:-
1) Hermaphrodite flowers, not more than 2 mm.
2) Mericarps, papillose to hispidulous.
3) Stems, hispid throughout.
4) Peduncle, without dorsal horn.
Habitat:- In a variety of dry, open usually rocky or gravelly habitats, (dry open
shrubby vegetation, fallow fields, stone walls, shingle beaches, etc.). 0-1100(-1450)
m.
Distribution:- Coastal areas of W Greece, not the interior. - Mediterranean region
and SW Asia, eastwards to Iran more so in the east. Widespread and common on
Crete.
Flowering time:- Mar-Apr(-May).
Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis
