SPECIES DESCRIPTION
ALYSSUM LATISSITICUM
Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE/Sect. ALYSSUM
Common Name:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Alyssum (Gr) Pacifier, ancient Greek name meaning without-fury -
alluding to the supposed medicinal properties against rabies.
Lassiticum (L) From the Lassithi area of E Crete.
General description:- Dwarf, suffruticose, whitish-grey, procumbent perennial.
Stems:-
1) Flowering 5-10 cm, non-flowering with a terminal rosette of leaves.
Leaves:-
1) Basal obovate, acute.
2) Cauline linear-oblanceolate to obovate, obtuse.
3) Densely covered on both sides with 20-24-rayed, sublepidote stellate hairs.
Flowers:-
3) Raceme short and dense in fruit.
4) Pedicels 4·5-6·5 mm, erecto-patent, with dimorphic indumentum.
5) Sepals 45 mm.
6) Petals 6 mm, entire.
Fruit:-
1) Silicula 6-7 mm, orbicular, obtuse or truncate, densely pubescent.
2) Valves inflated.
3) Style 3·5-4 mm.
4) Seeds 2·5 mm, orbicular, narrowly winged.
Key features:-
1) Perennial up to 40(-60) cm;
2) Middle cauline leaves usually less than 10 mm wide, the hairs 8- to many-rayed.
3) Raceme short and dense in fruit.
4) Petals entire.
5) Silicula without flattened margin.
6) Seeds 2·5 mm, narrowly winged.
Habitat:- Crevices of limestone cliffs, rocky outcrops, 1700-2000 m,
Distribution:- Previously believed to be endemic to Mt Dikti, where it was first
collected by Baldacci in 1899; recently reported also from two localities close to
each other in Lefka Ori.
Flowering time:- May to early July.
Photo by:- Currently none available
