Family |
Rubiaceae
Asperula stricta
Boiss.
Asperula stricta Boiss.
syn. Cynanchica stricta (Boiss.) P.Caputo & Del Guacchio
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, Pl. CLIII nº 2; 1983)
Life-form & habit: Perennial, more or less suffrutescent, finely scabrous, pubescent, rarely glabrous. Stems erect, branched, ending in long, often flexuous spikes.
Leaves: In whorls of 4, narrowly linear, thickened, revolute at margins; floral leaves fused at base.
Inflorescence & flowers: Flowers in distant whorls. Bracts oblong-lanceolate, acuminate.
Corolla: Dirty purple-red, scabrous; tube three times as long as the limb lobes, which are slightly acute and thickened at the tip.
Fruit: Not detailed by Mouterde.
Phenology: Flowers from May to July.
Habitat & elevation: Wooded mountainous areas.
Lebanese distribution: Mi. Kesba, ‘Abey, West of Douma, Douma; Mm. Aïtou, Qarn Aïtou, Bcharré–Mar Sarkis, Ehden, Tourza, near Ehden, Jab. Qamou‘a, Qoubbayat.
Syrian distribution: Mi. near Qadmous, Massiaf, Lattaquié, Safkoun; Mm. Jab. Mattai; NLatt. Cassius, ‘Aïn Haramiyé, Kessab road, Ras Ghamra; A.L. Bloudane, Jab. Halimé, signal de Zemrani; Sy. Jisr-el-Choghour.
Native range: Greece, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon (KEW, GBIF)