Helichrysum melitense
Encyclopedia
The Maltese Everlasting (Helichrysum melitense) is a species of flowering plant
in the Asteraceae
family and is endemic to Malta
,specifically on the island of Gozo
in the wild, very rare as ornamental in Malta island. Probably extinct in the wild from Malta island, where it used to occur at Wied Babu, limits of Zurrieq.
Its natural habitat
s are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation on Coastal garigue and vertical sheer cliffs
Other info: The flowers smell like curry, and when flowers are kept dry indoors, they can last for many years with their original colours, hence the name 'Everlasting'. The leaves have many tiny silvery hairs on their surface, and when wet they look green,but when dry they look silvery. The hairs protect the plant for the heavy winds and summer drought from drying up. Sadly this species is on the decline in the wild, and it is threatened by habitat loss. Fortunately, it's very easy to cultivate, and it's gaining ornamental popularity amongst the locals.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
family and is endemic to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
,specifically on the island of Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
in the wild, very rare as ornamental in Malta island. Probably extinct in the wild from Malta island, where it used to occur at Wied Babu, limits of Zurrieq.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation on Coastal garigue and vertical sheer cliffs
Other info: The flowers smell like curry, and when flowers are kept dry indoors, they can last for many years with their original colours, hence the name 'Everlasting'. The leaves have many tiny silvery hairs on their surface, and when wet they look green,but when dry they look silvery. The hairs protect the plant for the heavy winds and summer drought from drying up. Sadly this species is on the decline in the wild, and it is threatened by habitat loss. Fortunately, it's very easy to cultivate, and it's gaining ornamental popularity amongst the locals.
Source
- Stevens, D. & Lanfranco, E. 2006. Helichrysum melitense. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 20 July 2007.