CHROZOPHORA OBLIQUA

Family and Genus:- See- EUPHORBIACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Chrozophora verbascifolia

Meaning:- Chrozophora (Gr) Stain-bearing (Formerly cultivated as a dye plant).

Obliqua (L) Slanting, unequal-sided.

General description:- Whole plant densely densely covered in short soft, matted

star-shaped hairs and whitish.

Stems:-

1) Up to 50 cm, more or less branched.

Leaves:-

1) Ovate to rhombic, sinuate-dentate, subobtuse, truncate to subcordate at the

base.

2) Petiole, as long as to twice as long as the lamina.

Flowers:-

1) Yellowish-green, rather inconspicuous, male and female separate, but on the

same plant;

a) male, with 4-5(-7) stamens, borne in small erect racemes,

b) female, solitary or several together on long recurved pedicels at the base of

the male.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, trilobed, 5-8 mm, purplish, verruclose, mucronate, covered with peltate

hairs.

2) Seeds, c. 4 mm, rough.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, truncate to subcordate at the base.

2) Male flower, with 4-5(-7) stamens.

3) Whole plant densely stellate-lanate.

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Habitat:- Harvested fields, vineyards, open coniferous woodland and ruderal

habitats. 0-700 m.

Distribution:- Peloponnisos and SE Sterea Ellas,locally northwards to the

Thessalian plain.- Widespread in the Mediterranean area and SW to C Asia.

Currently known from only two location on Crete.

Flowering time:- June-Oct.

Photos by:- A. N. Other