Cistaceae

Cistaceae is a family belonging to the order of Malvales. With about 170 to 200 species in 8 genera. It inhabits temperate zones, especially in the Mediterranean region; more abundant in washed soils.

Description

They are shrubby plants (Cistus laurifolius), bushes (Helianthemum canum) or herbaceous (Tuberaria guttata).

Leaves simple, opposite, sometimes alternate (Lechea thymifolia), coriaceous, sometimes with a revolute edge, generally with stellate hairs, with or without stipules, present glands with resins and oils.

Flowers are hermaphroditic, actinomorphic, solitary or in clusters or corymbs; calyx with 5 sepals, the 2 external ones small or sometimes non-existent (Halimium); corolla with 5 fleeting petals, large and with a short nail that is sometimes spotted, in Hudsonia ericoides, corollas with 3 petals; stamens numerous, as is generally the case in the other families of the order; gynoecium superior, with 3, 5, 8 or 10 carpels.

Fruits in a loculicidal capsule.

With staminodes

• Fumana diffuse plant.
  • Ericoid smoke (Cav.) Gand.,
  • Fumana laevipes (L.) Spach,
  • Fumana procumbens (Dunal) Gren. et Godron,
  • Fumana thymifolia (L.) Spach ex Webb

No staminodia

Capsule with + 3 cells

• Cistus
  • Cistus albidus L., malva flower,
  • Cistus ladanifer L., syrup,
  • Cistus clusii Dunal,
  • Cistus crispus L.,
  • Cistus laurifolius L.,
  • Cistus libanotis L.,
  • Cistus monspeliensis L.,
  • Cistus populifolius L.,
  • Cistus psilosepalus Sweet,
  • Cistus salviifolius L.

Capsule with 3 cells

Long style and opposite leaves

• Helianthemum
  • Helianthemum almeriense Pau
  • Helianthemum alypoides Losa and Rivas Goday, 1969
  • Helianthemum apenninum (L.) Miller,
    

    Helianthemum apenninum roseum
  • Helianthemum asperum L.,
  • Helianthemum canum (L.) Baumg.,
  • Helianthemum cinereum (Cav) Pers.,
  • Helianthemum croceum Pers.,
  • Helianthemum glomeratum (Lag.) Lag. ex Dunal,
  • Helianthemum hirtum (L.) Miller,
  • Helianthemum lavandulifolium Miller,
  • Helianthemum ledifolium (L.) Miller,
  • Helianthemum marifolium (L.) Miller,
  • Helianthemum nummularium (L.) Miller,
  • Helianthemum oelandicum (L.) DC.,
  • Helianthemum origanifolium (L.) Miller,
  • Helianthemum sanguieum (Lag.) Lag. ex Dunal,
  • Helianthemum squamatum (L.) Pers.,
  • Helianthemum villosum Thib.

With short style

Herbs with alternate leaves or rosette

• Tuberaria
  • Tuberaria globularifolia (Lam.) Willk.,
  • Tuberaria guttatata (L.) Fourr.,
  • Tuberaria macrosepala (Cosson) Willk.

You kill, with opposite leaves

• Halimium jaguarzos; you kill with uncoated styles.
  • Halimium alyssioides (Lam.) C. Koch,
  • Halimium atriplicifolium (Lam.) Spach,
  • Halimium commutatum Pau,
  • Halimium halimifolium (L.) Willk.,
  • Halimium ocymoides (Lam.) Willk.,
  • Halimium umbellatum (L.) Spach,
  • Halimium viscosum (Willk.) P. Silva