CLINOPODIUM CRETICUM

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Calamintha cretica, Melissa cretica, Satureja cretica

Meaning:- Clinopodium (Gr) Bed-foot (for the knob shaped appearance of the

inflorescence.

Creticum (L) Cretan, from Crete.

General description:- Densely covered in soft grey hairs, perennial

Stems:-

1) 10-30 cm, woody at the base.

Leaves:-

1) 6-15 × 6-10 mm, broadly ovate, obtuse, tomentose or villous-tomentose,

subentire or shallowly crenate-serrate with up to 5 teeth on each side.

Flowers:-

1) Cymes, 1- to 3(-6)-flowered.

2) Peduncle, 0-4 mm, secondary branches usually absent.

3) Calyx, 4-5 mm, with dense, long, patent hairs, the hairs in the mouth exserted,

a) upper teeth, 0·7-1 mm.

b) lower teeth, c. 2 mm, densely patent-pubescent.

4) Corolla, c. 10 mm, white.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, 4, 1-seeded.

Key features:-

1) Calyx, 3-10 mm, with dense, long, patent hairs.

2) Corolla, not more than 22 mm.

3) Leaves, densely grey-tomentose.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Ledges of limestone cliffs in gorges, seasonally damp rocky slopes and

screes with open woodland of Acer sempervirens, Cupressus sempervirens etc.

(50-) 200-1600 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to Lefka Ori west Crete,

Flowering time:- June-Aug

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997.

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.