CISTANCHE PHELYPAEA

Family and Genus:- See- OROBANCHACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Lathraea phelypaea, Orobanche phelypaea.

Meaning:- Cistanche (Gr) Cistus-strangler

Phelypaea (L) For Louis Phelipeaux, Count of Ponchartrain,

Tourneforte's patron.

General description:- Glabrous annual.

Stems:-

1) Generally 30-80 cm tall, stout and fleshy,

Leaves:-

1) Scale-like, c. 2 cm, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, brown, with a scarious, more or

less denticulate margin.

Flowers:-

1) Spike, rather dense, 10-20(-30) cm.

2) Bracts, 15-20 mm, crenulate, glabrous;

a) bracteoles, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous. much shorter than the flowers.

3) Calyx, 13-18 mm, with short, ovate-orbicular, crenulate lobes.

4) Corolla, 30-40(-60) x 20-30 mm, bright shining yellow, tube curved;

a) limb, with 5 broad, subequal lobes.

5) Stamens, equalling the corolla, recurved at the apex;

a) anthers and filament, bases villous, anthers with acute lobes.

6) Stigma, large, yellowish.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, c. 12 mm, ovoid.

Host:- On roots of Atriplex halimus, probably also Arthrocnemum macrostachyum,

Sueda vera and other shrublets.

Key features:-

1) Bracts and bracteoles, glabrous.

2) Corolla, bright yellow.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- In maritime sand.

Distribution:- In Greece known only from the Aegean area. - A N African desert

element extending to W Syria and reaching Europe in Spain and S Portugal. Rare

on Crete, known only from the eastern islands of Gianysada, Koufonisi and Chrysi.

Flowering time:- Mar-June.

Photos by:- Kind permission of Saxifraga - Free Nature Images & Wiki-Commons