NEATOSTEMA APULUM

Family:- BORAGINACEAE

Common Names:- Yellow cromwell

Synonyms:- Lithospermum apulum, Margarospermum apulum, Myosotis

apula, Rhytispermum apulum.

Meaning:- Neatostema. Meaning unknown.

Apulum (L) From Apulia, S. Italy.

General description:- Low to short annual, with a solitary or many erect, rather

bristly stems, branched above.

Stems:-

a) 3-30 cm.

b) solitary to many.

c) erect.

d) with stiff bristly hairs (hispid).

e) lower branches longer than the upper (corymbosel).

Leaves:-

1) Lamina:

a) up to 7 x 0·5 cm.

b) alternate.

c) covered with bristles (setose) mainly on the margins.

d) with only one protruding vein.

2) Cauline:

a) linear or oblong-linear.

b) erect, stalkless (sessile).

c) acute; the basal linear to oblong-spatula-shaped, gradually narrowing into a

stalk.

Flower:-

1) Cymes:

a) symmetrical radially.

b) dense.

2) Calyx:

a) 3·5-4 mm.

b) lobes, linear, acute, hispid outside, softly white-hairy inside, triangular in fruit.

3) Corolla:

a) 6-6·5 mm.

b) tube slightly exceeding the calyx.

c) lobes of the limb glandular-puberulent on both surfaces.

4) Style 0·25-0·5 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets:

a) 1·5-1·75 mm.

b) subtetrahedral, contracted at the beak, flat dorsally.

c) keeled ventrally with small wart-like projection.

d) pale brown.

2) Achenes:

a) with an almost plane base.

Key features:-

Habitat:- Dry open habitats, cultivated and fallow fields, rocky and stony slopes,

roadsides. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Throughout greece, but rare in the west - Mediterranean region,

eastwards to syria and Iraq. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Feb-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton