ARENARIA CRETICA

Family and Genus:- See- CARYOPHYLLACEAE/Subgen. ARENARIA

Common Name:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Arenaria (L) Sand-dweller.

Cretica (L) From Crete, Cretan.

General description:- Densely caespitose, perennial.

Stems:-

1) 2-10 cm. slender, fragile usually glandular-pubescent only in inflorescence.

Leaves:-

1) 3-10 mm, crowded, oblong-elliptical or oblanceolate, rather obtuse. glabrous or

glandular-pubescent.1-veined.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence,1- to 5-flowered, usually corymbose stems, 1-3 times as long as

the sepals.

2) Sepals, 2·5-5 mm. oblong or oblanceolate, obtuse or subacute. veinless,

keeled at the base. glandular-pubescent.

3) Petals, 2 or more times as long as the sepals, white.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, slightly exceeding the sepals. ovoid.

2) Seeds, 0.8-0.9 mm. with low obtuse tubercles.

Key features:-

1) Sepals, and sepals obtuse or subacute.

2) Capsule, slightly exceeding the sepals.

3) Leaves, acute or mucronate.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Crevices of limestone cliffs, 1400-2200 m.

Distribution:- Scattered in mountains Taigetos northwards, extending just across

the borders to Albania. Rare on Crete known only from the Lefka Ori mountain

range.

Flowering time:- June-Aug.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis