categoryZUnderShrubs UnderShrubs List 
categoryZEvergreen Evergreen List 
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HOARY ROCK-ROSE

Helianthemum oelandicum

Rock-Rose Family [Cistaceae]

month8may month8jun month8june

category
category8UnderShrubs
category
category8Evergreen
category
category8Broadleaf
status
statusZnative
flower
flower8yellow
inner
inner8orange
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round
sex
sexZbisexual

26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Two sprawling masses of the leaves of Hoary Rock-rose top and bottom; with some Wild Time in-between them. (The darker green leaves on the right are those of Common Rock-Rose). Only the Wild Thyme is flowering, the others have finish until next May when your Author will need to return to take photos of the flowers...


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
The grey-green hoary leaves of Hoary Rock-rose (with a single hairy purplish Wild Thyme flower near the bottom). The shiny green leaves above are those of Common Rock-Rose). The older stems go woody.


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
The white and reddish stems of Hoary Rock-rose - note that the stems are 'telescopic' getting narrower with every 'telescopic-junction' (esp on the right).


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
The leaves are oval and hoary-green with short9ish) matted hairs on the tops.


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
The hairs are better seen in this bunch of leaves.


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
The 'telescopic' junctions on the stem (top left). The hairs are appressed on the stems.


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Bottom left: This may be a late flower before opening (or maybe a fruit?).


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
These two are the fruits.


26th June 2019, flanks of Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
The leaves of Common Rock-Rose are longer, narrower and much greener, having only a few hairs on the upper surface (but the underside is hoary again). [Hoary Rock-rose in right-hand bottom corner]


Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The oval shape of the leaves and their extreeme hoariness.

Hoary Rock-rose comes in three sub-species:

  • Hellianthemum oelandicum ssp. incanum). Leaves hairier than the other 2 sub-species. Leaves often less than 10mm long. North and South Wales plus North-West England
  • Hellianthemum oelandicum ssp. piloselloides). Leaves larger and less hairy than above ssp. Leaves often longer than 10mm. Western Ireland.
  • Hellianthemum oelandicum ssp. levigatum). Leaves smaller and less hairy (hairless to slightly hairy on upperside) and fewer-flowered than ssp. incanum. Cronkley Fell (in North-West Yorkshire).
Your Author thinks the above species depicted are ssp. incanum, they were growing in the right area.

'SubFamily' photo not done... No photos of the flowers.

The reader will have to wait until the middle of next year before he can take photos of the flowers (unless anyone has photos for use?).


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  Helianthemum oelandicum  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Cistaceae  

Distribution
 family8Rock-Rose family8Cistaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Helianthemum
Helianthemum
(Rock-Roses)

HOARY ROCK-ROSE

Helianthemum oelandicum

Rock-Rose Family [Cistaceae]