Cistus creticus

Cistus creticus (pink rock-rose, hoary rock-rose) is a species of shrubby plant in the family Cistaceae. Though it usually has pink flowers, of 4.5–5 cm diameter, this species is very variable. It is widely known as a decorative plant. It is frequently called "Cistus incanus". (The true Cistus × incanus is the hybrid C. albidus × C. crispus.^[2])

Cistus creticus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Cistaceae
Genus:	Cistus
Species:	C. creticus
Binomial name
Cistus creticus L.
Subspecies[1]
Cistus creticus subsp. creticus Cistus creticus subsp. trabutii (Maire) Dobignard
Synonyms[1]
Cistus × incanus var. creticus (L.) Boiss. (1867) Cistus × incanus subsp. creticus (L.) Heywood (1968) Cistus polymorphus f. creticus (L.) Batt. (1888) Cistus polymorphus var. creticus (L.) Ball (1877) Cistus villosus subsp. creticus (L.) Nyman (1878) Cistus villosus var. creticus (L.) Boiss. (1867) Cistus vulgaris Spach (1836), nom. superfl. Cistus vulgaris var. creticus (L.) Steud. (1840), nom. superfl.

It is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean Basin, including Morocco, Corsica and Sardinia, Italy and southeastern Europe, Turkey, and the Levant.^[1]

Taxonomy

The name Cistus creticus was first used by Carl Linnaeus in 1762.^[3] Confusion exists between this name and one published earlier by Linnaeus, Cistus incanus. As used by many authors, but not Linnaeus, the name "C. incanus" is taken to refer to Cistus creticus, particularly C. creticus subsp. eriocephalus.^[4]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are accepted.^[1]

• Cistus creticus subsp. creticus – central and eastern Mediterranean Basin
• Cistus creticus subsp. trabutii (Maire) Dobignard – Morocco

There are also several well-known cultivars, such as 'Lasithi' with compact, rounded flowers.

Phylogeny

Cistus creticus belongs to the clade of species with purple and pink flowers (the "purple pink clade" or PPC), in a subclade with C. heterophyllus and C. albidus.

Species-level cladogram of Cistus species.

Halimium spp.           Halimium spp.   PPC           Cistus crispus                 Cistus heterophyllus           Cistus albidus     Cistus creticus           Cistus asper     Cistus chinamadensis     Cistus horrens     Cistus ocreatus     Cistus osbeckiifolius     Cistus palmensis     Cistus symphytifolius     WWPC                 Cistus clusii     Cistus munbyi           Cistus inflatus     Cistus ladanifer     Cistus laurifolius     Cistus libanotis     Cistus monspeliensis     Cistus parviflorus     Cistus populifolius     Cistus pouzolzii     Cistus salviifolius     Cistus sintenisii     Purple   Pink   Clade   White   Whitish Pink   Clade

Species-level cladogram of Cistus species, based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences.[5][2][6][7]