SPECIES DESCRIPTION
ASTRAGALUS CRETICUS subsp. MINOICUS
Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Subgen. TRAGACANTHA
Common Name:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Astragalus (Gr) Ankle-bone, (a plant with knotted roots).
Creticus (L) From Crete
Minoicus (L) Refers to the ancient Minoan civilization of Crete.
General description:- A perennial shrub with a low-habit, hummock-shaped and
with many branches.
Leaves:-
1) Leaf length, 25-50 mm
2) Rachis indumentum, scattered, rigid hairs.
3) Leaflets, 8-10 paired, green to green-greyish oblanceolate to elliptic
-oblanceolate, 4-9.5 × 1.5-3.5 mm, densely hairy with mucro 0.1-0.3 mm
4) Stipules, lanceolate, 8-14 mm, uninerved, with few secondary veins, dense
marginal hairs 0.5-0.6 mm long.
5) Bracts, 7-9 × 1.5-3 mm, obtuse, densely hairy
Flowers:-
1) Calyx, 9.5-10 mm, totally covered by hairs
2) Calyx, indumentum, hairs dense, appressed, and undulate, up to 2 mm long.
3) Calyx teeth, 2.5-3.5 mm long, partially hidden by the indumentum.
4) Corolla colour, pink with purplish veins.
5) Standard, 14-18 × 5-7
6) Wings length,12-13
7) Keel length, 12.5-13
8) Stamens length,15
9) Anthers, ovate, 1 × 0.5 mm.
10) Pistil length, 16-17
11) Style, Hairy below.
12) Stigma apex, Bilobate
Fruit:-
1) Legume size, 7-8 × 2.5-3
2) Seeds, 3-3.2 × 1.5-1.6 mm, brown, unspotted
Key features:-
1) Corolla colour, pink with purplish veins.
2) Leaflets, 8-10 paired, green to green-greyish
3) Rachis indumentum, scattered, rigid hairs.
Habitat:- Dry rocky slopes localized exclusively in the sub-montane belt (900–1100
m),
Distribution:- Cretan Endemic. Confined to Afendis Kavousi (Afendis Stavromenos)
Flowering time:- Mid to the end of June to mid-Aug.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
Taxonomical information:- Kindly supplied by Ralf Jahn
