Halimium halimifolium (L.) Willk. subsp. halimifolium

Spice Detail Flowers In the field

Family: CISTACEAE

Genus: Halimium

Catalan common name: Estepa d'arenal.

Province distribution: Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Nanophanerophyte.

Habitats: Beaches and dunes, sandy soils. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Sandy soils.

Characteristics: A bush that in habits sandy spots (in the Balearic Islands, it has only been found in the dunes near Muro). Has elongated leaves, the upper portion the widest, which is like the rest of the plant grey in colour. The flowers are very typical of the Cistaceae (rockrose family) yellow with five equal sized petals. When not in flower, it can be confused with Atriplex halimus by the shape of its leaves and by the greyish colour of the entire plant; the flowers however, have nothing in similarity with those of the Chenopodaceae (goosefoot family). Flowers from May to June.