ONONIS RECLINATA

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Sect. NATRIX

Common Names:- Small restharrow

Homotypic Synonyms:- Anonis reclinata, Ononis reclinata var. linnaei.

Meaning:- Ononis (Gr) A classical name used by the Greek physician

Dioscorides.

Reclinata (L) Drooping to the ground, deflexed, bent back, reclined.

General description:- Glandular-viscid annual with a slender taproot.

Stems:-

1) 5-15 cm tall. usually several ascending. villous and glandular-hairy.

Leaves:-

1) Mostly trifoliolate, but lower and uppermost simple.

2) Leaflets, 5-8 mm, oblanceolate to obovate-orbicular. truncate, dentate at the

apex.

Flowers:-

1) In a short, dense raceme with leaf-like bracts.

2) Peduncles, 1-flowered, sharply recurved at the apex.

3) Calyx, campanulate with long, linear-lanceolate teeth.

4) Corolla, 5-9 mm, equalling the calyx, usually whitish with the standard flushed

pink.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 8-14 mm.

2) Seeds, up to 20, 0.5-1 mm, tuberculate.

Key features:-

1) Corolla, less than 10 mm, equalling or shorter than the calyx.

2) Leaflets, 5-8 mm.

3) Calyx-teeth, entire.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy and rocky coastal habitats, dry open shrubby vegetation, open

coniferous woodland, field margins and dry pastures. 0-700(-1200) m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece, but rare in the interior. - Mediterranean region,

extending to Macaronesia, iran and Ethiopia. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton