PETRORHAGIA DUBIA
Family and Genus:- See- CARYOPHYLLACEAE/Sect. KOHLRAUSCHIA
Common Names:- Hairy pink
Homotypic Synonyms:- Petrorhagia velutina, Dianthus dubius, Kohlrauschia
dubia.
Meaning:- Petrorhagia (Gr) Rock-bursting.
Dubia (L) Uncertain, doubtful.
General description:- Herbaceous erect annual.
Stems:-
1) Generally 10-40 cm tall. Simple or sparingly branched, glandular-tomentose at
the middle internodes, glabrous below and above.
Leaves:-
1) Opposite, simple, oblong to linear.
a) cauline, linear, connate at the base into a sheath at least twice as long
as broad.
Flowers:-
1) In terminal, usually 3-10-flowered heads subtended by 4(-6) coriaceous bracts.
2) Largest bracts, 6-12 x 3-7(-8) mm, usually obtuse, mucronate. All outer bracts
acute or mucronate.
3) Petals,10-16 mm.
4) Petal-limb,1·2-2·5 mm wide; pink with darker veins, obcordate to shallowly bifid.
5) Corolla, with 5 free, indented petals.
Fruit:-
1) Capsules, with 4 teeth.
2) Seeds, 1-1.3 mm,with thick curved margins, covered by conical papillae.
Key features:-
1) Largest bracts, at least 4 mm wide.
2) Petals, with a long claw and distinct limb, pink or purplish, sometimes with
darker veins.
3) Leaf-sheaths, at least twice as long as wide.
4) Seeds, 1-1·3 mm, covered with cylindrical papillae.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetaion, olive groves, grassy pastures, open
coniferous woodland, fallow fields, coastal habitats. 0-1200(-1700) m.
Distribution:- Widespread throughout the Mediterranean region and SW Asia.
Widespread and common on Crete.
Flowering time:- Late Mar to June(July).
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
