Family |
Brassicaceae
Arabis caucasica
Willd.
Arabis caucasica Willd.
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, Pl. LII nº 4; 1983)
Life-form & habit: Perennial forming basal rosettes, some sterile, with spreading to ascending stems, 15–35 cm long; usually pubescent.
Leaves: Basal leaves grey-green or hoary, with 2–3 obtuse teeth on each side. Cauline leaves sessile, auriculate or sagittate.
Inflorescence & flowers: Axis and pedicels usually glabrous. Sepals 5–8 mm; petals 9–18 mm, white, with a broad spreading blade and long claw.
Fruit: Siliques 40–70 × 1.5–4 mm, slightly torulose with a distinct median nerve; borne on pedicels 8–15(–20) mm. Seeds wingless.
Phenology: Flowers from April to July.
Habitat & elevation: Rocky slopes, especially in montane and high-montane zones.
Lebanese distribution: Mm. Maasser ech-Chouf, Mdeireje, Jabal Kneissé, ‘Aïn Geddaié, Laqlouq, Hasroun, Hadchit, Beqa‘ Kafra, ‘Aïn Dahab, Khan Sannine, Jourd Tannourine, ‘Aïn ‘Asafir near ‘Aqoura, Les Cèdres, mountains of ‘Akkar, Faraya, Sannine–Kneissé; Me. Jabal Sannine, Rijal-el-‘Achara, Col des Cèdres, Rikbat-el-Jamal, between Dahr-el-Kodib and Beqa‘ Kafra; Ve. ‘Aïnata, E. of Yammouné; Herm. Hermon, Deir-el-‘Achaïr.
Syrian distribution: Hermon (SE), Anti-Lebanon: Bloudane, Jabal Halimé, Madaya, Tala‘at Moussa, Jabal Abou-l-Haoua, Ouadi el-Qarn; St. E. of Deir ‘Atiyé; Mm. Slenfé, Col de Nebi Younès.
Native range: Greece, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Syria (north), Taurus, Cyprus, Lebanon