SATUREJA SPINOSA

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Clinopodium spinosum.

Meaning:- Satureja (L) A name used by the Roman naturalist and philosopher

Pliny for a culinary herb, from the Arabic, sattur, meaning savory.

Spinosa (L) Spiny, with spines.

General description:- Much-branched, cushion-like, minutely hairy dwarf shrub

Stems:-

1) 6-15(-30) cm tall, with a stout tortuous stock, twigs usually white-pubescent,

becoming spinose after flowering.

Leaves:-

1) 4-10 x 1.5-3 mm, narrowly obovate, acute, thick and rigid, scabrid-pubescent.

Flowers:-

1) Verticillasters, few, crowded, usually 2-flowered.

2) Floral leaves, 2-4 mm, thick.

3) Bracts shorter than or about as long as the verticillasters.

4) Calyx, 2.5-4 mm, nearly actinomorphic;

a) lower teeth, slightly longer than the upper.

5) Corolla, 5-8 mm, white or pale lilac.

Key features:-

1) Dense, rigid, pulvinate shrublet, twigs, usually white-pubescent, becoming spiny.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry, open, rocky and stony mountain slopes rock ledges, screes, mainly

on limestone. (800-)1700-2400 m.

Distribution:- Endemic Crete, Samos, SW. Anatolia. On Crete found only in the

Lefka Ori, Psiloritis and the Dikti massifs above 1200 m.

Flowering time:- Late June to Aug.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton