''Cistus'' × ''incanus'' L. is a hybrid between ''
Cistus albidus
''Cistus albidus'', the grey-leaved cistus, is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with pink to purple flowers, native to south-western Europe and western north Africa.
Description
''Cistus albidus'' grows up to tall. ...
'' and '' Cistus crispus''. The name "''Cistus incanus''" ( synonym ''C. villosus'') has been used by other authors in a different sense, for '' Cistus creticus'' (at least in part). The English name hoary rock-rose may refer to this species, among others.
Description
Because of confusion between the original species named by Linnaeus in 1753 and the way in which the name was used by later authors (see § Taxonomy), plants described under this name may actually belong to different species. ''C.'' × ''incanus'' is a shrubby plant, to about tall, with grey-green leaves and pink to purple flowers.
Taxonomy
The name ''Cistus incanus'' was first used by
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...
in 1753 in '' Species Plantarum''. Confusion exists among this name and two later names published by Linnaeus, '' Cistus creticus'' in 1762 and ''Cistus villosus'' in 1764. There is general agreement that ''C. villosus'', at least as used by later authors, is not a distinct species. Two treatments are then found.
In the first, generally older, treatment, ''C. incanus'' is accepted, with ''C. villosus'' being a synonym. ''C. creticus'' is treated as ''C. incanus'' subsp. ''creticus''.
According to Demoly (1996), Linnaeus's ''Cistus incanus'' was recognized to be a hybrid as early as 1904. The second treatment (followed here) is based on this recognition. ''C. creticus'' is accepted, with ''C. villosus'' as a synonym. ''C.'' × ''incanus'' L. is treated as the hybrid ''C. albidus'' × ''C. crispus''. As used by previous authors, but not Linnaeus, the name "''C. incanus''" is taken to refer to ''Cistus creticus'', particularly ''C. creticus'' subsp. ''eriocephalus''. Two formerly recognised subspecies of ''C. incanus'' are regarded as subspecies of ''Cistus creticus'':
*''Cistus'' × ''incanus'' subsp. ''corsicus'' = ''C. creticus'' subsp. ''corsicus''
*''Cistus'' × ''incanus'' subsp. ''creticus'' = ''C. creticus'' subsp. ''creticus''