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Cistus (from the Greek language kistos) is a genus of in the rockrose family Cistaceae, containing about 20 species (Ellul et al. 2002). They are Perennial plant found on dry or rocky soils throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco, Spain, Italy, Greece, through to the Middle East, and also on the Canary Islands.
Cistus, with its many hybrids and cultivars, is commonly encountered as a garden flower.
The common name rockrose ( rock rose in the UK) is applied to the species, a name also shared by the related genera Helianthemum and Tuberaria, all in the family Cistaceae. The common name gum cistus is applied to resin-bearing species, especially C. ladanifer. Sometimes known as 'Pheasant's Compromise'
They have showy 5-petaled ranging from white to purple and dark pink, in a few species with a conspicuous dark red spot at the base of each petal.
Within the purple pink clade (PPC), C. crispus is consistently the first diverging species. C. albidus, C. creticus and C. heterophyllus form a well supported clade. Seven species endemic to the Canary Islands form a polytomy, resolved differently in different analyses, in which subtaxa of some species do not always cluster together. Within the white and whitish pink clade (WWPC), there is weak support for a clade consisting of C. clusii and C. munbyi; the other species either formed part of a polytomy or resolved differently in different analyses. Halimium and Cistus were regularly shown to be Paraphyly with respect to one another.
Cistus are the only host of Cytinus, a small parasite plant that lives on the roots and is noticeable only for a short period of time when in flower. The presence of the parasite does not seem to harm the host population.
Cistus species are used as food plants by the of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora and Coleophora, the latter recorded on Cistus monspeliensis.
Various Cistus species are known to emit volatile oils, rendering the plants flammable. Their emission of these essential oils is a genetic adaptation for the species intended to actually promote flammability and even cause spontaneous combustion.Flammability and Combustibility of Cistus Plant Groups in Tlemcen Region(Algeria), SMAÏN EL-AMINE HENAOUI, National Forest Research Institute (INRF), Published by International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 44 (4): 383-393, 2018ISSN: 2320-5199 Cistus plants are therefore considered Pyrophyte, or plants which rely upon fire as a part of their life cycle to encourage spread within their biome. Cistus
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus Cistus:
Gallery
Hybrids
In addition a large number of hybrids have been recorded, including:
Ecology
They are thermophilous plants, which require open, sunny places. This plant genus is peculiar in that it has developed a range of specific adaptations to resist summer drought and frequent disturbance events, such as fire and grazing. In addition, it can form both and arbuscular mycorrhizas. More than 200 ectomycorrhiza-forming fungal species belonging to 40 genera have been reported so far to be associated with Cistus. As with many other Cistaceae, the species of Cistus have the ability to form associations with truffles ( Tuber) and are thus able to thrive on poor sandy soils or rocks. Cistus ladanifer has been found to have mycorrhizal associations with Boletus edulis, Boletus rhodoxanthus, and Laccaria laccata.
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Cultivation
Cistuses are suitable for sunny gardens with a nearly frost-free Mediterranean climate. The hardiest of the species is C. laurifolius, which survived the hard frost at Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew in 1895 that eliminated all the cistuses save this and two white-flowered natural hybrids, C. × corbariensis, already grown by John Tradescant the Elder, and C. × loretii, a 19th-century introduction.
Cultivars
Cultivars (those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit) include:
Gallery
Bibliography
(1993). 9788400073756, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC. ISBN 9788400073756
External links
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