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Bryonia cretica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bryonia cretica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Bryonia
Species:
B. cretica
Binomial name
Bryonia cretica
L. (1753)
[1]
  • Bryonia cretica subsp. acuta (Desf.) Tutin
  • Bryonia cretica subsp. cretica
  • Bryonia cretica subsp. dioica (Jacq.) Tutin
  • Bryonia cretica subsp. marmorata (E.Petit) Jauzein

Bryonia cretica, also known as Cretan bryony or English mandrake is a perennial species of Bryonia.[2]

Its flowers bloom in the summer and usually grow between 3 to 5mm. It's fruit, which is not for human consumption, can normally be harvested at any time except in late winter. [3]

It is a common plant in most of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Turkmenistan with some reports of its increasing occurrence in the UK.[4]

Subspecies

[edit]

Four subspecies are accepted.[1]

  • Bryonia cretica subsp. acuta (Desf.) Tutin – Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Lampedusa
  • Bryonia cretica subsp. cretica – eastern Mediterranean, from Greece to Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, and Libya
  • Bryonia cretica subsp. dioica (Jacq.) Tutin – central and southern Europe, Great Britain, and North Africa
  • Bryonia cretica subsp. marmorata (E.Petit) Jauzein – Corsica and Sardinia

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bryonia cretica L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  2. ^ Benarba, Bachir; Belhouala, Khadidja (2024-01-18). "The Genus Bryonia L. (Cucurbitaceae): A Systematic Review of Its Botany, Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses, and Biological Activities". Sci. 6 (1): 7. doi:10.3390/sci6010007. ISSN 2413-4155.
  3. ^ "Bryony / RHS". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  4. ^ "Index of Common Names", The Vascular Plants of Iowa, University of Iowa Press, pp. 259–296, doi:10.2307/j.ctt20fw8f7.8, retrieved 2024-09-14