Name/Όνομα: Όσυρις η λευκή
Scientific name/Επιστημονικό όνομα: Osyris alba L
Common name/Κοινό όνομα: Osyris, Poetenkasia, Cassia poetica, Ginestola, σκουπόχορτο
Family/ Οικογένεια: SANTALACEAE
Description
Osyris alba is an evergreen, hemiparasitic, groom-like perennial shrub growing up to 150cm high. Stems erect, much-branched, angular, woody, striated, green when young, becoming brown later. Leaves are alternate, simple, entire, leathery, linear or lanceolate, apex acute, base cuneate, subsessile and glabrous, falling early. Flowers actinomorphic, unisexual or hermaphrodite; male flowers in sparse axillary racemes, female and hermaphrodite solitary; perianth 3-4 lobed, fleshy, green and glabrous; stamens 3-4, opposite to perianth lobes; perianth lobes fused at base forming hypanthium**, lobes ovate-deltoid, green, becoming yellow-orange with age; ovary inferior, style 1, stigma 3-lobed. Flowering time April-June. Fruit is a globose, red and fleshy drube, topped with the remaining perianth’s lobes. Native to southern Europe and Mediterranean region. Very rare in Cyprus and it is found on rocky hillsides (Akamas peninsula, Kyrenia district).
Hypanthium** = sepals, petals and other parts of a flower fused together at their bases to form a cup-like structure called hypanthium.
