Cerinthe major

Cerinthe major
In bloom
A particularly dark cultivar of Cerinthe major subsp. purpurascens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Boraginales
Family:	Boraginaceae
Genus:	Cerinthe
Species:	C. major
Binomial name
Cerinthe major L. [1]
Synonyms [2]
List Ceranthe acuta(Moench) Opiz Cerinthe acutaMoench Cerinthe alpinaVis. Cerinthe apertaLojac. Cerinthe apertaClairv. Cerinthe asperaRoth Cerinthe glabra subsp. longiflora(Viv.) Kerguélen Cerinthe glaucaMoench Cerinthe gymnandraGasp. Cerinthe gymnandraTod. ex Lojac. Cerinthe gymnandra var. quichiotisCarrasco Cerinthe longifloraViv. Cerinthe major var. elegansFiori Cerinthe major subsp. elegans(Fiori) Giardina & Raimondo Cerinthe major f. pseudopallidaPamp. Cerinthe major f. pseudosemipurpurea Pamp. Cerinthe strigosaRchb. Cerinthe versicolorHallier ex Steud.

Cerinthe major, called honeywort along with other members of its genus, is an annual species of flowering plant in the genus Cerinthe , native to the Mediterranean region (southern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa), and introduced to New Zealand. ^[2] Gardeners have a choice along a spectrum of cultivars ranging from Cerinthe major subsp. major, with sea-green bracts and yellow flowers, to Cerinthe major subsp. purpurascens with blue bracts and purple flowers. ^[3]

Subspecies

The following subspecies are currently accepted: ^[2]

• Cerinthe major subsp. major
• Cerinthe major subsp. oranensis(Batt.) Selvi & L.Cecchi
• Cerinthe major subsp. purpurascens (Boiss.) Selvi & L.Cecchi

Flowering

In Europe, it flowers between May and August. ^[4]

• 
  The synonymous Cerinthe gymnandra with white flowers
• 
  In a garden setting
• 
  Close-up of flower
• 
  Botanical illustration

References

1. Sp. Pl.: 136 (1753)
2. "Cerinthe major L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
3. Land, Leslie (January 2003). New York Times One Thousand Gardening Questions and Answers. p. 33. ISBN   9780761128861.
4. "Sarah Raven". Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'. Retrieved 19 June 2021