Asperula Crassula
Asperula Crassula

Endemic to Northeast Crete.

It has been incorporated into the ‘Red Data Book of Rare and Endangered Species of Greece’.

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The Sitia Geopark harbours over 60 endemic flora species, with several being under protection, and five of them are listed in the ‘Red Data Book of Rare and Endangered Species of Greece’.

One of these species is Asperula crassula, a perennial plant with a short stature ranging from 2 to 10 cm. It features greenish-grey, hairy semi-bushy growth that forms distinctive pads. The plant produces yellowish flowers arranged in dense and short clusters, blooming from early May to July. Endemic to Northeast Crete, Asperula crassula is found in very limited locations with brushwood, primarily in rocky limestone soils.

Photos: Vangelis Perakis, Sitia Geopark Coordinator