Crucianella graeca Boiss.

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inPlant families

Taxonomy: Fam. Rubiaceae// Genus: Crucianella// Species: Crucianella graeca Boiss.

Determined according to the botanical key provided by Ehrendorfer in Tutin et al. (1976).

Lifeform: Annual, therophyte according to the Raunkiaer system.

Distribution: Native to the Balkan peninsula according to the distribution information provided by The Euro+Med Plantbase (source: Marhold, 2011+) and the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew); Balkan endemic.

Habitat: Grasslands and clearings of oak forest, up to c. 800 m altitude.

Flowering period: Summer: JUN, JUL.

Crucianella graeca – habit. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence with flowers. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence with flowers. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence with flowers. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence with flowers. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence with flowers. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem with leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem with leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – lower part of stem with lower cauline leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem with upper cauline leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem with leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem with leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem with leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem with leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – adaxial side of leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – abaxial side of leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – lower cauline leaves. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem. Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani, 21.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – size of corolla. Scale in mm. Specimen from Osogovo, hilly region between the villages of Pantelej and Rajchani. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – habit. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – habit. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – inflorescence. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – flowers and bracts. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – flowers and bracts. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem and leaves. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Crucianella graeca – stem and leaves. Osogovo – near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Crucianella graeca Boiss. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:747894-1 [Accessed 24.06.2023].

Crucianella graeca. Marhold, K. (2011+): Rubiaceae (pro parte majore). – In: Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/64ae2704-d0a7-4e44-bce5-4eeca090253a [Accessed 24.06.2023].

Crucianella L. Ehrendorfer, F. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1976). Flora Europaea. Volume 4: Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 3 – 4.

Last update: 09.07.2023.