VALANTIA MURALIS

Family and Genus:- See- RUBIACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Valantia (L) For Sebastien Vaillant (Valantius) (1669-1722), French

physician and botanist.

Muralis (L) Growing on walls, of the walls.

General description:- Low to short, rather delicate and inconspicuous plant,

slightly fleshy, somewhat bristly.

Stems:-

1) 6-15 cm; much abbreviated in inflorescence, glabrescent, more or less

pubescent only above.

2) Lower internodes, up to 12 mm.

Leaves:-

1) In whorls of 4, 3-6·5 x 2-2·5 mm, narrowly obovate to oblanceolate usually

mucronate,1-veined.

Flowers:-

1) Hermaphrodite flowers, 1-1·6 mm, more or less cupuliform, borne in dense

clusters at the base of the leaves. greenish-yellow

2) Peduncle and pedicels, with a conspicuous dorsal horn;

a) horn and pedicels, with hooked bristles.

Fruit:-

1) Mericarps, usually solitary, smooth.

Key features:-

1) Slightly hairy towards the apex.

2) Peduncle, with conspicuous dorsal horn.

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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)

Distribution:- Widespread in the Mediterranean region, extending eastwards at

least to W Anatolia and Cyprus, lacking in the SE Mediterranean area. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mar-Apr(-May).

Photos by:- Steve Lenton