CORONILLA VALENTINA subsp. GLAUCA

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE

Common Name:- Shrubby crown-vetch

Homotypic Synonyms:- Coronilla glauca, Coronilla pallida, Coronilla

valentina var. glauca, Ornithopus glaucus

Meaning:- Coronilla (L) Little-garland, (the flower-heads).

Valentina (L) From Valencia, Spain.

Glauca (L) With a white greyish bloom, glaucous.

General description:- Erect, much-branched, glabrous shrublet, branches ± zig-

zag.

Leaves:-

1) Imparipinnate, bluish-green.

2) Leaflets, 2-4 pairs, 6-12 mm, obovate to obtriangular, truncate to emarginate,

glaucous and somewhat fleshy.

Flowers:-

1) 4-12 in long-pedunculate, axillary umbels.

2) Calyx, short, campanulate, with broad, triangular teeth.

3) Corolla, c. 12 mm, bright to lemon yellow:

a) claw of the standard slightly longer than the calyx.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 2-4 cm, linear, ± straight, articulated, breaking into 2-8 fusiform bulging

segments. at maturity.

Key features:-

1) Shrublet.

2) Leaflets, 2-4 pairs.

3) Corolla, c. 12 mm .

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Rocky limestone slopes with open dry shrubby vegetation, mixed scrub

and open woodland. 0-600 m.

Distribution:- Mediterranean region from Portugal to the east Aegean Islands. Rare

on Crete, known from only four locations. Two in the southeast and one from

Psiloritis. With a further location found by Christopher Cheiladakis nera Katsidoni in

the esat in 2022.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to May.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton