PHLOMIS CRETICA

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Phlomis ferruginea var. cretica.

Meaning:- Phlomis (Gr) Flame, (the hairy leaves were used as lamp wicks).

Cretica (L) From Crete, Cretan.

General description:- Grey-felted evergreen shrub.

Stem:-

1) Up to 45cm, spreading to erect, stellate-lanate with glandular or clavate hairs.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, 3-8 cm, lanceolate, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, cuneate, truncate or

rounded at the base, crenulate, coriaceous, stellate-tomentose above, white-

stellate-lanate beneath.

2) Petiole, up to 4 cm.

Flowers:-

1) Floral leaves, petiolate, lanceolate acute or acuminate.

2) Verticillasters, 14- to 30-flowered.

3) Bracteoles, 12-19 mm, linear to narrowly lanceolate, straight at the apex,

stellate-tomentose and ciliate.

4) Calyx, 13-19 mm, stellate-lanate with glandular hairs;

a) teeth, 1-5 mm, subulate, straight at the apex.

5) Corolla, 25-27 mm, yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, glabrous.

Key features:-

1) Bracteoles, subulate, linear or narrowly lanceolate.

2) Stem, with glandular or clavate hairs.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry, rocky slopes with open dry shrubby vegetation and open woodland

generally over limestone, fallow terraces, olive groves. 0-800(-1400) m. Fl. Late Mar

to early June.

Distribution:- Endemic Crete, S. Greece, Rhodes & SW. Anatolia. Widespread

and common but mainly in C. and W. Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton