Helianthemum canum, (L.) Baumg.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1981, Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae, Cambridge University Press : 290

23. H. canum (L.) Baumg. , Enum. Stirp. Transs. 2: 85 (1816).

Stems 4-20(-30) cm, procumbent or ascending. Leaves elliptical, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate or linear, grey-tomentose beneath, green to grey-tomentose above, with or without stellate hairs. Cymes lax or dense, with 1-5 flowers. Petals 4-8 mm, yellow. C. & S. Europe; Britain and Ireland; Öland. Al Au Br Bu Cz Ga Ge G r Hb He Hs Hu It Ju Po Rm Rs (W, K) Sa Si Su Tu. Very variable, and divisible with difficulty into a number of subspecies: 1 Shoots arcuate-ascending; inflorescences usually produced on lateral branches of the current year’s growth

2 Inflorescence 5- to 15-flowered, eglandular (f) subsp. pourretii

2 Inflorescence 3- to 6-flowered, with purplish-black glandular hairs (b) subsp. nebrodense

1 Shoots forming a more or less procumbent mat; inflorescences usually produced from apex of previous year’s growth

3 Robust, very pubescent; sepals densely villous; petals 6-8 mm (Krym) (g) subsp. stevenii

3 Less robust; sepals with more or less appressed pubescence;

petals less than 6 mm

4 Leaves lanceolate to linear, sparsely strigose above; inflorescence usually produced on lateral branches of the current year’s growth (Öland) (c) subsp. canescens

4 Leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate; indumentum various; inflorescence from apex of previous year’s growth

5 Leaves glabrous or subglabrous above; flowers 1—3(—4) (England) (d) subsp. levigatum

5 Leaves ±pubescent or strigose above; flowers usually more than 3

6 Leaves relatively broad, rather persistent on the lower parts of the vegetative shoots (e) subsp. piloselloides

6 Leaves relatively narrow, mostly clustered into rosettes at the apex of the vegetative shoots (a) subsp. canum