Ononis minutissima L.

Spice Fruit detail Flower In the field

Family: LEGUMINOSAE

Genus: Ononis

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera. Dragonera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Rock crevices and cliff faces. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Rocky surfaces and dry stone walls. Pine woods and rock creviceses.

Characteristics: A small shrub with very thin, woody branches. It has trifoliate leaves, with narrow, dentate leaflets. The flowers are yellow, ad can be found in the axils of a whitish bract. All the flowers come out in groups at the top of the branches. It lives in garrigues (Mediterranean woodland), and also in the cracks in the rocks. It flowers in winter to end of spring.