Flora of Kriti

Origanum dictamnus, the dittany of Crete, Cretan dittany or hop marjoram, is a tender perennial plant that grows 20–30 cm high. It is known in Greek as δίκταμο (díktamo, cf. "dittany") or in the Cretan dialect as έρωντας (erontas, "love"). It is a therapeutic and aromatic plant that grows wild only on the mountainsides and gorges of the Greek island of Crete. It is widely used for food flavouring and medicinal purposes, in addition to featuring as an ornamental plant in gardens. This small, lanate shrub is easily recognised by the distinctive soft, woolly covering of white-grey hair on its

Zelkova abelicea is a species of tree in the family Ulmaceae. It is referred to by the common names Cretan zelkova, and on Crete proper as abelitsia (αμπελιτσιά). It is endemic to Crete. It is found in small numbers and is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN red list of endangered species.

Crocus sieberi, Sieber's crocus, also referred to as the Cretan crocus or snow crocus (as is Crocus chrysanthus), is a plant of the genus Crocus in the family Iridaceae. A small, early blooming crocus, it easily naturalises, and is marked by a brilliant orange which is mostly confined to the stamens and style, fading through the bottom third of the tepal. It grows wild generally in the Balkans: Greece, especially in the island of Crete, Bulgaria, Albania and North Macedonia. There are four subtypes: sieberi (Crete), atticus (Attica area around Athens), nivalis and sublimis. Its cultivars are

Ebenus cretica, common name Cretan ebony, is a leguminous small shrub in the family Fabaceae.

Arum purpureospathum is a woodland plant species of the family Araceae. It is found on Crete.

Arum idaeum is a woodland plant species of the family Araceae. It is found on Crete.

Tulipa cretica, the Cretan tulip, is a species of flowering plant in the family Liliaceae, endemic to Crete. A bulbous geophyte reaching 25 cm (10 in) with white flowers that fade to pink, it is typically found growing in rocky habitats such as noncoastal cliffs and mountain peaks. There are a number of cultivars, including 'Dikti', 'Archanes', and 'Chania', with 'Hilde' being available from commercial suppliers.

Scilla nana, known as dwarf glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant endemic to Crete. It flowers in early spring with flowers in shades of lilac blue. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, and may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa. It has not always been recognized as distinct from Scilla cretica.

Hypericum aciferum is a species of flowering plant in the St John's wort family Hypericaceae. It is a small shrub endemic to the Greek island of Crete. H. aciferum grows in a mat on the ground and has twisting branches, needle-like leaves, and long golden petals. Its flowers are also heterostylous, which means that the species can exhibit one of two flower types on different plants. This trait is unique within the genus Hypericum to H. aciferum, H. russeggeri, and H. aegypticum, the three species in section Adenotrias. The species was described by Werner Greuter in 1965 as Elodes acifera, and

Cyclamen creticum, commonly known as Cretan sowbread, is a small perennial herb endemic to Crete and Karpathos. It is closely related to Cyclamen repandum, and both are placed in subgenus Psilanthum. Some authorities consider C. creticum to be a subspecies of C. repandum.

Crocus oreocreticus is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It is a cormous perennial native to central and eastern Kriti (Crete).

Bellis longifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to Crete.

Anthemis glaberrima is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only on the islets of Agria Gramvousa and Imeri Gramvousa, near the northwestern tip of the island of Crete in Greece. Its natural habitats are rocky shores and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation (known as phrygana in Greece). In 1992 it was designated as a 'priority species' under Annex II of the Habitats Directive of the European Community (which was reformed as the European Union the following year). This designation was meant to serve as the basis for Greece to declare which areas in which it

Orchis sitiaca is a species of orchid. It is a tuberous geophyte endemic to Crete, where it is native to the islands' central and eastern mountains. The species is similar to Orchis anatolica, but is typically stronger and taller, growing 10 to 50 cm tall. It typically flowers between April 1 and early May. It grows in meadow-like areas in low shrubland (phrygana), where it can form large colonies, and more seldom in pinewoods, up to 1,400 meters elevation. It grows in full sun or part shade, and prefers weakly acid subsoil, including areas of weathered serpentinite.

Hypericum jovis is a species of perennial flowering plant in the St John's wort family, Hypericaceae. The species was first described as Hypericum jovis in 1975 by Werner Greuter. Hypericum jovis is native to central Crete.

Centaurea idaea is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to Crete.

Lactuca alpestris is a species of plant native to Crete in the Ida mountains and is a relative of lettuce. It is perennial and has yellow flowers. Its achenes are 7m to 8m long. The species grows on rocky slopes, dwarf shrub communities, calcareous garrigue, scree, and rubble. IUCN Red list states the species is threatened due to climate change and agriculture.

Bupleurum kakiskalae is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is endemic to western Crete, an island which is part of Greece. One of Crete's rarest plants, B. kakiskalae grows on a few calcareous cliffs at 1450-1500m in the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) of western Crete. Plants produce a single, monocarpic rosette of narrow oblanceolate, blue-green leaves which flowers after three to twelve years. The flower stem is branched and up to one metre tall, with numerous heads of yellow flowers in late summer. The plant reproduces by seed, but most seed falls to the ground below the

Scilla cretica is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family. It is referred to by the common name Cretan glory-of-the-snow, and is a bulbous perennial native to Crete, flowering in early spring. It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, and may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa. It has not always been recognized as distinct from Scilla nana.

Prospero talosii is an autumnal flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae endemic to the small Dia Island near Crete, Greece. The species is polyploid, and has the largest chromosome number in the genus. Fewer than 50 individuals are known in the wild, and the species is considered Critically Endangered

Prospero rhadamanthi is a species of flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae endemic to Crete, Greece. It is a diploid species in the Prospero autumnale cryptic species complex. This delicate autumn-flowering plant produces pale pink nodding flowers on slender stems after its grass-like leaves emerge. First collected in 1996 from Petres Gorge near Karoti in Crete at low elevations (5–80 metres), it was recognized as a distinct species in 2000.

Prospero minimum is an autumnal flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae that is endemic to Crete, Greece. It is a diploid species in the Prospero autumnale cryptic species complex. This tiny autumn-flowering plant is among the smallest members of the squill family, with thread-like leaves less than 1 mm wide and delicate pink star-shaped flowers. It grows on limestone rubble near Imbros Gorge and was recognized as a distinct species in 2000 when scientists documented its uniquely diminutive size compared to related plants.

Prospero idaeum is an autumnal flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae endemic to Crete, Greece. It is a diploid species in the Prospero autumnale cryptic species complex. This plant produces star-shaped pale pink blooms on slender stalks after its grass-like leaves emerge. Found only on Mount Ida in Crete at elevations around 1,400 metres, it was recognized as a distinct species in 2000 after careful study separated it from similar autumn squills.

Prospero hierapytnense is a flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae that is endemic to Crete, Greece. This autumn-flowering plant produces nodding rosy-pink blooms on slender stems that emerge after its grass-like leaves appear. First collected in 1981 from the Kavousi Gorge in eastern Crete at elevations of 100–230 metres, it was formally recognized as a distinct species in 2000 and is distinct among its relatives for its unique chromosome count.

Prospero depressum is a flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae endemic to Crete, Greece. It is a diploid species in the Prospero autumnale cryptic species complex. This autumn-flowering plant features nearly white blooms on short stems that emerge after its grass-like leaves appear. It was first collected in 1997 from the sandy eastern shore of lake Omalos at an elevation of about 1050 metres, and was formally recognized as a distinct species in 2000.

Prospero battagliae is a flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae endemic to Crete, Greece. This autumn-flowering plant produces nodding pale violet blooms on slender stems after its grass-like leaves emerge. First collected in 1981 from Mesa Lasithi in Crete at an elevation of about 860 metres, it was formally recognized as a distinct species in 2000 and is characterized for its distinctive wine-red leaf bases and rose-tinted bulb flesh.

Horstrissea is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. Its only species is Horstrissea dolinicola. The genus and species were first described in 1990. It is endemic to Crete, where it lives at an elevation of around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) in the Mount Ida range. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Crepis auriculifolia is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family, Asteraceae. It is endemic to Crete.

Carex idaea is a species of sedge in the family Cyperaceae, native to Crete. It is genetically very close to Carex distans, but has a number of distinct differences, including a higher number of chromosomes (2n = 74), stiffer leaves, and dark red-purple flowers.

Petromarula is a genus of plants in the family Campanulaceae. There is only one known species, Petromarula pinnata, endemic to the island of Crete in the Mediterranean. The name "Petromarula" means "rock lettuce" in Greek, a reference to the plant's traditional use in salads.