VINCETOXICUM CRETICUM

Family and Genus:- See- APOCYNACEAE

Common Names:- Cretan swallow-wort

Homotypic Synonyms:- Cynanchum luteum

Meaning:- Vincetoxicum (L) Poison beater, referring to it supposedly being an

antidote to snake poison.

Creticum (L) From Crete, Cretan.

General description:- Small shrubby perennial plant.

Stems:-

1) 40-70 cm, tomentose.

Leaves:-

1) 6-8 x 3-6 cm, opposite, subsessile, broad and rounded at the base and tapering

toward the end, covered with short, dense, light-grey fine hairs.

Flowers:-

1) Cymes, 8- to 15-flowered, 7-8mm, sessile, clustered in the leaf axils, yellowish-

green, somewhat waxy.

2) Calyx-lobes, ovate.

3) Corolla, 7-8 mm diam, sessile, lobes triangular, yellow, hirsute above.

4) Corona membrane, 1/8 as long as the segments, lobes stipitate.

Fruit:-

1) Follicles, 7-10 x 1·5-2 cm, ovoid, acuminate, pubescent.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, grey-tomentose.

2) Corona-lobes, stipitate.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Open rocky slopes, dry river beds, screes and crevices.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic. Dikti mountains and Krioneritis. Rare

Flowering time:- June-Aug.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981