MINUARTIA WETTSTEINII

Family:- CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Cherleria wettsteinii

Meaning:- Minuartia (L) For Jaun Minuart (1693-1768), botanical writer of

Barcelona.

Wettsteinii (L) For Richard Wettstein Ritter von Westerheim (1863-

1931), Austrian systematist and palaeontologist.

General description:- Caespitose, glaucous perennial, hairless throughout or

somewhat glandular-pubescent above. with woody base and numerous stems.

Stems:-

1) Flowering, few to several, usually 5-15 cm.

Leaves:-

1) Of the non-flowering shoots in characteristic, dense, obconical fascicles,

4-10 mm, straight, linear, semi-circular in cross section.

Flower:-

1) Cymes, 1 to few-flowered.

2) Stalks, much longer than the sepals.

3) Sepals, 4-5 mm, 5-veined, somewhat fleshy.

4) Petals, ovate to oblong-lance-shaped just exceeding the sepals, white.

5) Stamens, outer glands at the base, swollen, hairy.

6) Anthers yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule 1.5-2 times as long as sepals, narrowly ovoid.

2) Seeds few, large (l.8-2.9 mm), obliquely reniform, brown, papillose throughout.

Key features:-

1) Flowering stems at least 3 cm

2) Plant glabrous.

Habitat:- Calcareous rocky places, crevices & screes 1100-1400 m.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic known only from Afendis Kavousi. Very rare.

Flowering time:- May-July.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Endangered (E) according to the

Red Data Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of Greece (1995)

Endangered (E) according to IUCN 1997.

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