CIONURA ERECTA

Family:- APOCYNACEAE

Common Names:- Cionura

Synonyms:- Cynanchum erectum, Marsdenia erecta, Pergularia erecta.

Meaning:- Cionura (Gr) Erect-tailed.

Erecta (L) Erect, upright.

General description:- A hairless (glabrous) or slightly hairy (pubescent) shrub.

Stem:-

a) up to 100 cm, numerous, but occasionally climbing into large bushes or trees

to 5m.

Leaves:-

a) c. 7 x 5 cm.

b) stalks (petioles) c. 5 cm. rounded, twining or not.

c) ovate, narrowing gradually to a point (acuminate), heart-shaped at the base.

Flowers:-

a) 8-10 mm.

b) borne in large terminal or lateral, umbel-like clusters, hairless.

c) milky-white,unpleasant smelling.

d) lobes c. 7 x 2 mm, oblong, obtuse, glabrous.

1) Corona segments:

a) tongue-shaped.

Fruit:-

1) Follicles:

a) 8-9 cm long.

b) solitary.

c) smooth, spindle-shaped, with a papery a flap.

2) Seeds:

a) with a wide marginal wing all around and a terminal tuff of long white silky

hairs.

Habitat:- Rocky habitats, river gravels, coastal sands and dunes. 0-600(950) m.

Distribution:- Balkans, Turkey, Cyprus and the extreme E Med. Limited

distribution on Crete confined mainly to the centre and west of the island.

Flowering time:- May-July.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis