''Helichrysum panormitanum'' subsp. ''melitense'',
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
''Helichrysum melitense'', is a subspecies of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the family
Asteraceae
Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...
and is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
,
[ specifically to the island of ]Gozo
Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...
. It is known as the Maltese everlasting. It can be found in Dwejra, and in cliffs in Gozo near Fungus Rock. Its natural habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation on Coastal garigue and vertical sheer cliffs. Recently, it was recorded in new locations on the island of Gozo. This plant is on the decline in the wild, and it is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...
. It is very easy to cultivate, and it is gaining ornamental popularity amongst the locals.
Description
This is a low shrub, ranging from 30 to 70 cm in height; has small lanceolate leaves that are erect; and the flower heads only contain yellow tubular florets.[The Flora of the Maltese Islands: A field Guide by Hans Christian Weber and Bernd Kendzior] The flowers smell like curry, and when flowers are kept dry indoors, they can last for many years with their original colours, hence the name 'everlasting'. The leaves have many tiny silvery hairs on their surface, and when wet they look green, but when dry they look silvery. The hairs protect the plant for the heavy winds and summer drought from drying up.
See also
* Endemic Maltese wildlife
* Flora of Malta
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q309689
panormitanum melitense
Critically endangered plants
Endemic flora of Malta
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Taxa named by Sandro Pignatti
Plants described in 1988