Cistus salviifolius, common names sage-leaved rock-rose,^[1] salvia cistus^[2] or Gallipoli rose, is a perennial ligneous plant of the family Cistaceae.

Etymology

The genus name Cistus derives from the Ancient Greek words κίσθος (kisthos) meaning basket, while the species name salviifolius refers the wrinkled leaves similar to those of the sage.^[3]

Description

Cistus salviifolius has spreading stems covered by clumpy hairs. This bushy shrub reaches on average 30–60 centimetres (12–24 in) in height, with a maximum of 100 centimetres (39 in). The oval-shaped green leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long, opposite, reticulate, tomentose on both sides, with a short petiole (2–4 mm).^[4]

The inflorescence holds one or more round flowers, long-stalked, arranged at the leaf axils. The five white petals have a yellow spot at the base, forming a corolla 4–6 cm in diameter. The stamens are also yellow and the anthers shed abundant yellow pollen. This plant is pollinated by insects entomophily, especially bees. The flowering period extends from April through May. The fruit is a pentagonal capsule, 5–7 mm long.^[4]

Phylogeny

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

{{cladogram |title=Species-level cladogram of ”Cistus” species. |caption=Species-level cladogram of ”Cistus” species, based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences.{{cite journal |last1=Guzmán |first1=B. |last2=Vargas |first2=P. |year=2005 |title=Systematics, character evolution, and biogeography of ”Cistus” L. (Cistaceae) based on ITS, trnL-trnF, and matK sequences |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=644–660 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.026 |lastauthoramp=yes |pmid=16055353}}{{cite journal |last1=Guzmán |first1=B. |last2=Vargas |first2=P. |date=2009 |title=Historical biogeography and character evolution of Cistaceae (Malvales) based on analysis of plastid rbcL and trnL-trnF sequences |journal=Organisms Diversity & Evolution |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=83–99 |doi=10.1016/j.ode.2009.01.001 |lastauthoramp=yes}}{{cite journal |last1=Guzman |first1=B. |last2=Lledo |first2=M.D. |last3=Vargas |first3=P. |year=2009 |title=Adaptive Radiation in Mediterranean ”Cistus” (Cistaceae) |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=4 |issue=7 |page=e6362 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0006362 |lastauthoramp=yes |pmid=19668338 |pmc=2719431|bibcode=2009PLoSO…4.6362G }}{{Cite journal |last=Civeyrel |first=Laure |last2=Leclercq |first2=Julie |last3=Demoly |first3=Jean-Pierre |last4=Agnan |first4=Yannick |last5=Quèbre |first5=Nicolas |last6=Pélissier |first6=Céline |last7=Otto |first7=Thierry |year=2011 |title=Molecular systematics, character evolution, and pollen morphology of ”Cistus” and ”Halimium” (Cistaceae) |journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution |volume=295 |issue=1–4 |pages=23–54 |doi=10.1007/s00606-011-0458-7 |lastauthoramp=yes |ref=harv}} |align=center |clades={{Cladogram of Cistus species}} }}

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