''Cistus clusii'' is a shrubby

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the family

Cistaceae The Cistaceae are a small family of plants (rock-rose or rock rose family) known for their beautiful shrubs, which are profusely covered by flowers at the time of blossom. This family consists of about 170(-200) species in nine genera that ar ...

, with white flowers, native to south west and south central Europe and north Africa. It has been wrongly called '' Cistus libanotis'' by many authors.

Description

''Cistus clusii'' is a much branched shrub, up to tall. Its leaves are narrowly linear in shape, usually long by wide, with edges that are turned under (revolute), green on the upper side and densely covered with short hairs on the lower side, producing a whitish appearance. The flowers are arranged in

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' " ...

-like cymes with up to 12 individual flowers, each across with five white

petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

s and three

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s, long. The flower stalks ( peduncles and

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

) and the sepals are covered with long white hairs. The

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

is short.

Taxonomy

''Cistus clusii'' was first described by

Michel Félix Dunal Michel Félix Dunal (24 October 1789 in Montpellier – 29 July 1856 in Montpellier) was a French botanist. He was a professor of botany in Montpellier, France. He held the chair of natural history at the University of Montpellier from 1816 ...

in 1824. The specific epithet ''clusii'' honours

Carolus Clusius Charles de l'Écluse, L'Escluse, or Carolus Clusius (19 February 1526 – 4 April 1609), seigneur de Watènes, was an Artois doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th-century scientific horticulturists. Life ...

. The name '' Cistus libanotis'' has been wrongly applied to this species by many authors. A 2011 molecular phylogenetic study placed ''C. clusii'' in a clade with ''

Cistus munbyi ''Cistus munbyi'' is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with white flowers. Related to and resembling '' Cistus clusii'', it is native to Morocco and Algeria in western north Africa. Description ''Cistus munbyi'' has n ...

'' in the white and whitish pink clade of ''Cistus'' species, sister to all the remaining white and whitish pink flowered species.

Phylogeny

''Cistus clusii'' belongs to the white and whitish pink flowered clade of ''Cistus'' species.

Distribution

''Cistus clusii'' is native to north Africa and the west and central Mediterranean region: southern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, the Balearic Islands, south-east

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q8346470 clusii Plants described in 1824