Cistus monspeliensis

Cistus monspeliensis is a species of rockrose known by the common name Montpellier cistus or narrow-leaved cistus. It is native to southern Europe and northern Africa, in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecosystems of matorral—maquis shrublands.

Cistus monspeliensis
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Cistaceae
Genus:	Cistus
Species:	C. monspeliensis
Binomial name
Cistus monspeliensis L.

Description

Evergreen leaves of Cistus monspeliensis

Cistus monspeliensis is a shrub with narrow evergreen leaves and a hairy, glandular, sticky surface. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped, green, with a rugose, wrinkled upper surface, up to 5 centimeters long. In cultivation, C. monspeliensis attains a height of around one meter and a width of 1.5 metres.^[2]

The plant's inflorescence is generally a panicle of 2 to 8 flowers, each with five sepals and five white petals.^[3]

Distribution

It is mainly distributed throughout the western Mediterranean Basin (Portugal, including Madeira; Spain, including the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands; Morocco; southern France, including Corsica; Italy, including Sardinia and Sicily; Malta; Algeria; Tunisia) but it is also present in Croatia; Serbia; Albania; Montenegro; Greece and Cyprus.^[1]

The plant has been reported elsewhere as an introduced species, and in California as an invasive species.^[3]

Phylogeny

Cistus monspeliensis belongs to the white and whitish pink flowered clade of Cistus species.

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.[4][5][6][7]

References

1. Rankou, H.; M'Sou, S.; Ait Babahmad, R.A.; Diarra, A. (2020). "Cistus monspeliensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T73094084A139593829. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T73094084A139593829.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. "Cistus monspeliensis (Montpelier rockrose)". Shoot gardening. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
3. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3215,3216,3219 Jepson
4. Guzmán, B. & Vargas, P. (2005). "Systematics, character evolution, and biogeography of Cistus L. (Cistaceae) based on ITS, trnL-trnF, and matK sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 37 (3): 644–660. Bibcode:2005MolPE..37..644G. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.026. PMID 16055353.
5. Guzmán, B. & Vargas, P. (2009). "Historical biogeography and character evolution of Cistaceae (Malvales) based on analysis of plastid rbcL and trnL-trnF sequences". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 9 (2): 83–99. Bibcode:2009ODivE...9...83G. doi:10.1016/j.ode.2009.01.001.
6. Guzman, B.; Lledo, M.D. & Vargas, P. (2009). "Adaptive Radiation in Mediterranean Cistus (Cistaceae)". PLOS ONE. 4 (7): e6362. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.6362G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006362. PMC 2719431. PMID 19668338.
7. Civeyrel, Laure; Leclercq, Julie; Demoly, Jean-Pierre; Agnan, Yannick; Quèbre, Nicolas; Pélissier, Céline & Otto, Thierry (2011). "Molecular systematics, character evolution, and pollen morphology of Cistus and Halimium (Cistaceae)". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 295 (1–4): 23–54. Bibcode:2011PSyEv.295...23C. doi:10.1007/s00606-011-0458-7. S2CID 21995828.

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment - Cistus monspeliensis