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Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus)
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Find out here.Dittany of Crete fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
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Dittany of Crete description
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Genus | Origanum (1) |
The dittany of Crete is widely used for food flavouring and medicinal purposes, in addition to it featuring as an ornamental plant in gardens (3). This small, lanate shrub is easily recognised by the distinctive soft, woolly covering of white-grey hair on its stems and round green leaves (4) (5), giving it a velvety texture (6). Tiny rose-pink flowers surrounded by brighter purple-pink bracts add an exuberant splash of colour to the plant in summer and autumn (7) (8).
- Also known as
- Cretan dittany.
- Size
- Height: up to 30 cm (2)
- Bract
- Modified leaf at the base of a flower.
- Deciduous
- A plant that sheds its leaves at the end of the growing season.
- Lanate
- Woolly covering of short dense hair.
- Perennial
- Plants that live for at least three seasons; after an initial period they produce flowers once a year.
- Walter, K.S. and Gillett, H.J. (1998) 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. IUCN (The World Conservation Union), Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
-
Desert-Tropicals.com (April, 2006)
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Lamiaceae/Origanum_dictamnus.html -
Permaculture Information web (April, 2006)
http://permaculture.info/cgi-bin/eden?plant=4455 -
Crimson sage Nursery: Medicinal Herb Plants Nursery (April, 2006)
http://www.crimson-sage.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&itemid=100053 - Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A. and Valentine, D.H. (1972) Flora Europaea: Diapensiaceae to Myoporaceae v. 3. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
-
Purdue University: Centre for New Crops and Plant Products (April, 2006)
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/DITTANY_OF_CRETE.html -
Mostly Natives Nursery (April, 2006)
http://www.mostlynatives.com/notes/origanumdictamnus.htm -
Epic Plants (April, 2006)
http://www.epicplants.com/tagView.asp?ProductIDTrunc=364-18 -
Plants for a Future: Edible, medicinal and useful plants for a healthier world (April, 2006)
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Origanum+dictamnus - Heywood, V.H. (1978) Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
-
Greece: Country Report to the FAO International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources (April, 2006)
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:BKLJqxSmBpIJ:www.fao.org/ag/agp/agps/Pgrfa/pdf/greece.pdf+Origanum+dictamnus+threat&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=5 - view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
- download and retain copies of the Material on their personal systems in digital form in low resolution for their own personal use;
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Related species
Dittany of Crete biology
This deciduous (3), perennial plant blooms from June to August and sheds its leaves in winter (9). The flowers have both male and female reproductive organs and are pollinated by bees (9), which are attracted to the flowers by their bright colour and the plant’s aromatic fragrance (10).
TopDittany of Crete range
Native to the mountains of Crete, Greece (6).
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Species with a similar range
Dittany of Crete habitat
Shady rocks in dry places in high mountains (3).
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Species found in a similar habitat
Dittany of Crete status
Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plant Species 1997 (1).
Dittany of Crete threats
The dittany of Crete is frequently used for food flavouring, medicinal purposes and decoration (3). Although widely cultivated for these purposes, this plant is also taken from the wild. The exact extent of harvesting from the wild is unknown, but the species is thought to be threatened from over exploitation (11).
TopDittany of Crete conservation
There are currently no conservation measures targeting this species.
TopFind out more
For more information on the dittany of Crete see:
Herbnet
http://www.herbnet.com/DITTANY%20OF%20CRETE.pdf
Purdue University: Centre for New Crops and Plant Products:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/DITTANY_OF_CRETE.html
Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A. & Valentine, D.H. (1972) Flora Europaea: Diapensiaceae to Myoporaceae v. 3. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
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Glossary
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Image credit
Dittany of Crete flowers
© Julia Jones
Julia Jones
Albion House
Odos Filellinon
Pano Elounda 72053
Crete
Greece
Tel: +30 (00) 28410 42177
julia@flowersofcrete.info
http://www.flowersofcrete.info
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