AYTACIANUM

Distribution : North-eastern Turkey (North-eastern Anatolia, south-east of Trabzon); limestone rocks, 1800 m.

Description (according to IHSP 2003) :

Perennial herbs.

Stems decumbent, sterile stems 1,2 - 2 cm, basally usually leafless and leaves crowded in rosettes at the branch tips.

Leaves subulate, obtuse, outer leaves 10 - 12 x 2 mm, ± 3x as large as the inner leaves.

Inflorescences : Flowering branches erect, to 8 cm, unbranched, basally glabrous, hirsute towards the tip, leaves alternate or in verticils of 3, bristly-hairy, inflorescences cymes with 1 - 3 branches with up to 7 flowers each, pedicels 2,5 - 3 mm (longer in terminal flowers).

Flowers (5- to) 6- to 7- (to 8-) merous, 12 - 13 mm diameter, sepals semi-erect, acute, hirsute, basally connate, petals free, spreading, broadly ovate, acute or almoste apiculate, 4,5 x 3 mm, white with broad green base, outside hairy, carpels strongly pubescent.

Treated as synonym of S. hispanicum by 't Hart & Alpinar (2000: 133).