SPECIES DESCRIPTION
VERBASCUM ARCTURUS
Family and Genus:- See- SCROPHULARIACEAE
Common Names:- Cretan bearstail
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Verbascum (L) A name used by the Roman naturalist and philosopher
Pliny, a reference to the bearded stamens.
Arcturus (L) Bear's-tail-like.
General description:- Perennial with an elongated woody stock
Stem:-
1) Few to several, 30-70 cm tall, simple or sparingly branched, hairs at the base of
the stem branched, forming a whitish felt indumentum
Leaves:-
1) Basal, 8-15 x 2-5 cm, lyrate, with an ovate-oblong or oblong terminal lobe and
2-4 much smaller lateral ones, lanate, beneath, green and sparsely lanate
above, crenate.
2) Cauline, few and small, altemate.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, a long, rather lax, glandular-puberulent raceme.
2) Bracts, 5-8(-11) mm, deltoid. the lower ones entire.
3) Pedicels, 15-20(-30) mm. patent.
4) Calyx teeth, triangular, acute.
5) Corolla, 25-30 mm in diam., bright to deep yellow, sometimes with purple
markings at the centre.
6) Fertile stamens, 4, with or without a staminode.
a) lower, with shortly decurrent anthers.
b) filament-hairs, violet.
7) Style, 9-14 mm.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 5-7 mm, broadly ovoid to subglobose, glabrous.
Key features:-
1) Style, less than 15 mm.
2) Basal leaves, densely grey-tomentose at least beneath.
Habitat:- Crevices of limestone or conglomerate cliffs, often in gorges, sometimes
on stone walls of buildings. 0-800 m.
Distribution:- Endemic W. & C. Crete, also known from an area near Istron E.
Crete.
Flowering time:- Mar-May(-June).
Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis
