Syn.: Alus mediterranea Bubani, Coris purpurea St.-Lag.
Family: Primulaceae Vent.

Coris monspeliensis

Distribution: Western and central part of the Mediterranean region, from northwestern Spain to Croatia, and northwestern Africa.

Ecology: It grows in dry places, garrigue, macchia, in coastal areas from sea level to about 600 m. It blooms from March to July.

Coris monspeliensis

Description: Biennial or perennial herb. Stems 10–30 cm tall, ascending to erect, woody at the base, leaves alternate, subsessile, 2–20 × 1–3 mm, entire or sinuate, subrevolute or, particularly in upper leaves, spinose-dentate, glabrous to densely puberulent. Flowers zygomorphic, in a terminal spike-like raceme, pink, purple or blue, calyx campanulate, 5–7 mm, with 2 rows of teeth, outer calyx-teeth 6–21, unequal, spinose, corolla-tube short, limb unequally 5-partite to 2/3, lobes unequally bifid. The fruit is a capsule, 0.5–2 mm long.

Coris monspeliensis
Coris monspeliensis
Coris monspeliensis

These images were taken in Spain, Andalusia, Parque Natural Cabo de Gata (April 25, 2011).