Lutzia cretica
Species of plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lutzia cretica is a species of herbaceous plant endemic to the Aegean Islands of Greece. It is the only species in the genus Lutzia, which belongs to the cabbage family Brassicaceae.
| Lutzia cretica | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Lutzia Gand. |
| Species: | L. cretica |
| Binomial name | |
| Lutzia cretica | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Prior to a 2015 reappraisal based on molecular phylogenetic data, the plant was most commonly included in the genus Alyssoides as Alyssoides cretica.[2]
Lutzia cretica grows into a characteristic spherical bush. Its leaves are greyish-white and tomentose (covered in soft dense hairs). It produces large yellow flowers between February and April, and the fruits can remain on the plant until June.[3]
It grows in the crevices of limestone cliffs and ravines, from sea level up to 400 m (1,300 ft), less frequently as high as 800 m (2,600 ft). It is found on the islands of Crete (mostly the central and eastern parts and on some small offshore islets), Kasos, Karpathos, and Astypalaia.[3]
