Species name :

Atriplex lanfrancoi(Brullo & Pavone) G. Kadereit et Sukhor.
Published in Candollea 42: 622 (1987)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

Cremnophyton lanfrancoi Brullo & Pavone

Synonym that was used for long in Malta: Cremnophyton lanfrancoi Brullo & Pavone

Full list of synonyms : [Euro+Med] [PlantList] [IPNI] [POWO] [Catalogue of Life ]

Plant Family :

Amaranthaceae Juss. (The Amaranth Family)
42 species from the Amaranthaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Maltese Cliff Orache

Maltese name(s) :

Bjanka tal-irdum

Status for Malta :

Endemic. Occurs only on the Maltese islands

Frequency :

Very Common     Common     Frequent     Scarce     Rare     Very rare     Extinct

Growth form :

Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: CHAMEOPHYTE (dwarf or small shrubs)
Germination [info]: Dicotyledon

Legal Protection [link]:

Protected by law: Regulation 26 and Schedule III of LN311/2006. (Strictly protected endemic species)

Red List (1989) :

This species has a threatened status and is listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

Aug-Oct

Colour of Flowers:

Inconspicuous

Remarks :

Found in most Maltese floras and local literature under the name Cremnophyton lanfrancoi but phylogentic analysis have placed this endemic species within the broad genus of Atriplex. It is nested very ancestral within the clade. Some local authors argue that it should merit and retain its own genus given that the characters of this Orache do not match completely with the characters typifying the genus Atriplex. Until conservation of the species name is carried out by a publication, the species is currently treated as an Atriplex

Habitat in Europe:

Species endemic to the Maltese islands, not found in the rest of Europe

Preferred habitat in Malta:

Coastal cliffs

Botanical Description:

Erect, branched shrub up to 100 cm. Leaves opposite or alternate, 10-30 x 1-4 mm, linear-lanceolate or linear, obtuse or subacute. Flowers in sessile clusters of usually 1 female and 4 male. Female bracteoles 5-9 mm in fruit, orbicular, rounded or retuse at the apex, with or without 2 small appendages dorsally. Seeds c. 2 mm, ovoid, brown.

Chromosome number:

2n=20

Distributional range:

Malta & Gozo

Distributional map in Europe
and the Mediterranean region (2018):

Occurrences in Europe.
(from Flora Europaea pre year 1993):

Sicily and/or Malta

Occurrences in Europe and the Mediterranean region.
(Euro+Med Checklist, 2017) - Country codes

? Si(M)