STACHYS SPINOSA

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE/Sect. STACHYS

Common Names:- Spiny woundwort

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Stachys (Gr) Spike-like.

Spinosa (L) Spine.

General description:- Short, tussock-forming perennial.

Stems:-

1) Up to 30 cm, spinose, appressed-sericeous-lanate and often glandular.

Leaves:-

1) 10-35 x 3-8 mm, caducous, linear-oblong, entire or crenate, densely sericeous-

lanate.

Flowers:-

1) Verticillasters, 4- to 6-flowered, usually 2-3 crowded together.

2) Calyx, 7-9 mm, narrowly campanulate, glandular-puberulent and sparsely

sericeous;

a) teeth, triangular, ¾ as long as the tube, somewhat pungent.

3) Corolla, 12-16 mm;

a) upper lip, short, c. 5 mm.

b) lower, 6-8 mm with a large, obcordate middle lobe, white to pale lilac-pink

with darker streaks and spots.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, 4, 1-seeded.

Key features:-

1) Most verticillasters 3- to 16-flowered.

2) Twigs, indurate and spiny.

3) Calyx teeth, not or scarcely pungent.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Constituent of open dry shrubby vegetation on dry, rocky slopes and

gravelly coastal flats. 0-900 m. with Cistus ssp., Thymbra capitata etc.

Distribution:- Endemic Crete, Karpathos and SE. Kyklades. Widespread and

common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Apr-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton