ARENARIA FRAGILLIMA

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

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Arenaria graveolens, Arenaria oxypetala.

Meaning:- Arenaria (L) Sand-dweller.

Fragillima (L) More fragile.

General description:- Laxly caespitose perennial, glandular-pubescent

throughout.

Stems:-

1) 5-15 cm. slender, fragile.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, petiolate, thick, mucronate, elliptic-oblanceolate.

Flowers:-

1) Cyme, lax, irregular with lateral branches on both sides of the main axis,

2) Calyx, truncate at the base.

3) Sepals, 2.5-4.5 mm. lanceolate, acute to acuminate

4) Petals, equalling or slightly exceeding the sepals, white.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, equalling the sepals.

2) Seeds, 0.4-0.7 mm. reniform, verruculose, and with long, slender dorsal

papillae.

Key features:-

1) Calyx, ± truncate at the base.

2) Seeds, with slender dorsal papillae.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Crevices and ledges of limestone cliffs (200-)800-1900 m.

Distribution:- Endemic Crete & Karpathos. On Crete known from the four main

massifs. Not common.

Flowering time:- Mid-May to mid-July

Photos by:- Thanasis Papanikolaou