Androcymbium Rechingeri
Androcymbium Rechingeri

Androcymbium rechingeri

It is included in the Red Data Book of Rare & Endangered Plants of Greece (1995).

Androcymbium rechingeri (Greuter 1967) is an extremely rare bulbous plant endemic to the Colchicaceae family. It is found in a few sandy coastal areas of western Crete and Cyrenaica in Libya.

It features a very short shoot and smooth, elongated, lanceolate leaves. The flowers are white with pink ribs.

It thrives in stony coastal brushwood and sandy soils, displaying a limited adaptation to very specific habitats. In Crete, it blooms between December and February.

It is listed in the Red Data Book of Rare & Endangered Plants of Greece (1995) and enjoys protection under Presidential Decree 67/81. Additionally, it is covered by the Bern Convention, included in Annexes II* and IV of the Habitats Directive. The species faces an imminent risk of extinction due to significant pressure on its populations, primarily stemming from tourism development.

Kalliopi Borboudaki, Chemical Engineer MSc, creator of the website https://butterfliesofcrete.com.