Family: Boraginaceae Juss.

Onosma fruticosa

Distribution: Endemic species of Cyprus, locally common in many parts of island.

Ecology: It grows scattered in dry bushy slopes with garrigue vegetation, on limestone and igneous formations, from the coast to elevations of 1100 m. It blooms from February to May.

Onosma fruticosa

Description: Shrub, 30–100 cm high, much branched. The leaves are alternate, sessile, oblanceolate, entire, 7–20 × 2–5 mm, with short hairs and bristles. The flowers are small, 1.5 cm long, solitary (up to two) at the end of branches, the calyx is deeply divided, corolla is tubular, yellow, turning brownish with age. The fruit is a nutlet.

Onosma fruticosaOnosma fruticosa
Onosma fruticosa
Onosma fruticosa

These images were taken in Cyprus, outskirts of Limassol (March 26, 2010).