''Cistus inflatus'' is a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Cistaceae The Cistaceae are a small family of plants (rock-rose or rock rose family) known for their beautiful shrubs, which are profusely covered by flowers at the time of blossom. This family consists of about 170(-200) species in nine genera that are ...

, often known as ''Cistus psilosepalus'', although this name is a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of the hybrid ''Cistus'' × ''laxus''. It has white flowers.

Description

''Cistus inflatus'' is a slightly spreading shrub, up to tall. It leaves are green, oblong in shape, usually long by wide, with turned under (revolute) margins, variably hairy, with long simple and stellate hairs on both sides. The leaves are unstalked (sessile) and, at least near the base, have three veins. The flowers are arranged in cymes with one to five individual flowers, each across with five white

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s with narrowed yellow bases, and five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s. The

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

is very short.

Taxonomy

''Cistus inflatus'' has a somewhat confused nomenclatural history. In 1786,

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biologi ...

described this species under the name ''Cistus hirsutus'', but it was an

illegitimate name ''Nomen illegitimum'' (Latin for illegitimate name) is a technical term, used mainly in botany. It is usually abbreviated as ''nom. illeg.'' Although the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants uses Latin terms for other ki ...

since he had earlier used it for a different species. In 1826, Robert Sweet published the name ''Cistus psilosepalus'', which was then applied to this species by many authors. In 1997, Jean-Pierre Demoly identified Sweet's type as ''C.'' × ''laxus'' Aiton, a hybrid between this species and '' C. populifolius''. As the name ''Cistus laxus'' was published by Aiton in 1789, it has priority over the name ''Cistus psilosepalus'', which becomes a

. Demoly revived a name used (but not published) by

Pierre André Pourret Pierre André Pourret (1754–1818) was a French abbot and botanist who did research and teaching in France and Spain. He described and collected large amounts of plant species, especially from the Mediterranean, and amassed many species in hi ...

, namely ''C. inflatus''. In summary, in Demoly's analysis: * ''Cistus psilosepalus'' Sweet is a synonym of ''Cistus'' × ''laxus'' Aiton * ''Cistus psilosepalus'' auct., non Sweet has incorrectly been used for what is now ''Cistus inflatus'' Pourr. ex J.-P.Demoly Sweet called his ''C. psilosepalus'' "the smooth sepaled rock-rose" (the meaning of the epithet), describing it as "differing from all others ... by its smooth glossy sepals", whereas later sources (including ''

Flora Europaea The ''Flora Europaea'' is a 5-volume encyclopedia of plants, published between 1964 and 1993 by Cambridge University Press. The aim was to describe all the national Floras of Europe in a single, authoritative publication to help readers identify ...

'') described ''C. psilosepalus'' as having hairy sepals. In ''C.'' × ''laxus'' the backs of the outer sepals are hairless (glabrous); in ''C.'' ''inflatus'' they are hairy. A 2011 molecular phylogenetic study placed ''C. inflatus'' in the white and whitish pink clade of ''Cistus'' species. No particularly close relationship to any other species in the clade was identified.

Phylogeny

''Cistus inflatus'' belongs to the white and whitish pink flowered clade of ''Cistus'' species.

Distribution

''Cistus inflatus'' (generally recorded as ''C. psilosepalus'') is native to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, western

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and two small regions of north-west

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

References

External links

*; includes photograph {{Taxonbar, from=Q15330550 inflatus