LIMONIUM ELAPHONISICUM

Family and Genus:- See- PLUMBAGINACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Limonium (Gr) Meadow-plant. A name used by the Greek physician

and botanist Dioscorides.

Elaphonisicum (L) From the area of Elafonissi, west Crete

General description:- Glabrous perennial with a stout, branched woody stock,

forming loose tufts.

Caudices:-

1) 3-10 cm long, branched, densely spirally leafy in the upper half.

Stems:-

1) Green, 20-45 cm long, verrucate, sometimes with many crateriform glands,

flexuous, constricted at the nodes, branching begins near the base; rarely

proliferating in the axils.

2) Branches:

a) sterile, 1-9 per stem, 1-12 cm long, more or less straight, constricted at the

nodes, verrucate, undivided, only longer branches branched.

b) fertile, 4-20 cm long, verrucate or tuberculate with many crateriform glands,

constricted at nodes, straight to slightly curved, directed obliquely upwards,

forming branching angles of 20°-40°, branched

Leaves:-

1) In rosettes at the apices. fleshy, green, verrucate, 15-40 x 2-5 mm, narrowly

oblanceolate, apex acute to obtuse, retuse, flat or v-shaped in cross-section,

with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, rhombic in outline.

2) Spikes, 25-50 mm long, straight, directed obliquely upwards; often axis of spike

with crateriform glands.

a) spikelets, 8.0-9.5 mm long, composed of 1-7 flowers, mostly very remotely

arranged with 1-4 per 2 cm.

3) Bracts:

a) outer, 2.5-3.5 x 2.0-2.6 mm, triangular-ovate, acute, margin broadly

membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base,

acuminate.

b) middle, membranous, 2.7-3.5 x 2.0-2.2 mm, oblong-elliptic, rounded.

c) inner, 7.3-8.0 x 3.5-4.2 mm, oblong-obovate, rounded; bract margin broadly

membranous; central part fleshy, 4.6-6.0 x 2.1-3.6 mm, oblong-elliptic,

acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 0.8-1.2 mm long, not reaching

the upper margin.

4) Calyx, 5.0-6.1 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0-1.5 mm;.

a) tube, sparsely shortly to long hairy, only sometimes glabrous, with 5 ribs

ending at or shortly before the base of the lobes;

b) lobes, ca. 0.7 × 0.9 mm, semi-elliptic.

5) Corolla, pale blue.

Click here for a more detailed description of this species.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy beaches and dunes with small outcrops of limestone or

conglomerate. 0-40 m.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic. Confined to the southwestern coast of Crete,

between Cape Elafonisos and Cape Krios

Flowering time:- May-June.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis