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Family |

Cistaceae

Cistus creticus

L.

Cistus creticus L.

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, Pl. CCXXXVII nº 2; 1983)
= Cistus villosus L.


  • Life-form & habit: Shrub 30–100 cm tall, strongly branched from the base and markedly woody; young stems densely pubescent.

  • Leaves: Petiolate, suborbicular, ovate-oblong to oblong; upper surface with short, sparse hairs; reticulately veined and puckered; 1–6 cm long × 0.5–2 cm wide.

  • Inflorescence & flowers: 1–6 flowers in loose, leafy terminal cymes.

  • Sepals: Five, equal, rounded at the base, densely hirsute, acute at the apex.

  • Petals: Rose-purple, 3–5 cm in diameter.

  • Style: As long as the stamens.

  • Fruit: Capsule densely pubescent.

  • Phenology: Flowers from February to April.

  • Habitat & elevation: Wooded and shrubby habitats, especially on sandstone and marl soils.

  • Lebanese distribution:
    Ct.: Beirut, Dékouané, Qalmoun, Tripoli
    Mi.: Maghdouché, Deir Moukhallès, ‘Aley, Diq el-Mahdi, Bzoummar, Bikfaya, Harissa, Terbol, Douma
    Mm.: Qannoubine, Bcharré, forest of Ehden
    S. Ct.: Marqab
    Mi.: Bhamra
    NLatt.: Kessab

  • Native range: Albania, Bulgaria, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Greece, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Sardegna, Sicilia, Türkey, Türkey-in-Europe. (KEW) 

  • Introduced into: California, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Tasmania. (KEW)

Location

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© Ramy Maalouf 2020 - 2025

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