# Cistus heterophyllus

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Species of flowering plants in the rock rose family Cistaceae

Cistus heterophyllus Cistus heterophyllus subsp. carthaginensis, Sierra minera de Cartagena, Spain Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Cistaceae Genus: Cistus Species: C. heterophyllus Binomial name Cistus heterophyllus Desf.[1]

***Cistus heterophyllus*** is a [shrubby](/source/Shrub) [species](/source/Species) of [flowering plant](/source/Flowering_plant) in the family [Cistaceae](/source/Cistaceae).

## Description

*Cistus heterophyllus* grows up to 1 m (3 ft) tall, forming an erect, much-branched [shrub](/source/Shrub). Its leaves are elliptical to lanceolate in shape, usually 5–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) long, the upper surfaces being dark green with stellate and simple hairs, and the lower surfaces whitish with a coating of short hairs. The leaf margins are slightly turned under (revolute) and the veins are much more obvious on the underside. The leaves are of two kinds: the upper are without stalks ([petioles](/source/Petiole_(botany))), the lower have short stalks. The flowers are arranged in [cymes](/source/Cyme_(botany)) of one to five individual flowers, each with five purplish-pink petals, usually with a yellow spot at the base. Like the leaves, the five [sepals](/source/Sepal) have stellate hairs, plus some longer simple hairs. The fruit capsule is about 9 mm (0.35 in) high containing angular brownish seeds.[2][3]

The two described subspecies differ in the distribution of hairs. In *C. h.* subsp. *heterophyllus*, the young stems have both many stellate hairs and many longer simple hairs, and the leaves have scattered long simple hairs. In *C. h.* subsp. *carthaginensis*, the young stems and leaves have fewer simple hairs. The outer two sepals of *C. h.* subsp. *heterophyllus* average about 10 mm (0.39 in) long by 9 mm (0.35 in) wide, whereas those of *C. h.* subsp. *carthaginensis* are smaller, averaging about 8.5 mm (0.33 in) long by 6 mm (0.24 in) wide. The petals of *C. h.* subsp. *heterophyllus* are about 20–30 mm (0.8–1.2 in) long by 20–25 mm (0.8–1.0 in) wide, making the flower diameter typically 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in). Although there is considerable variation and the size ranges overlap, the petals of *C. h.* subsp. *carthaginensis* may be as small as 12 mm (0.47 in) long and 10 mm (0.39 in) wide, making the flower diameter typically 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in).[4]

## Taxonomy and phylogeny

*Cistus heterophyllus* from [Sweet's](/source/Robert_Sweet_(botanist)) *Cystineae*; probably subsp. *heterophyllus* as said to be "from Algeria"

*Cistus heterophyllus* was first described by [René Louiche Desfontaines](/source/Ren%C3%A9_Louiche_Desfontaines) in 1798.[1] The specific epithet *heterophyllus* means "with leaves of different shapes",[5] the upper being unstalked, the lower shortly stalked.

Two subspecies are accepted:[1][6]

- *Cistus heterophyllus* subsp. *carthaginensis* (Pau) M.B.Crespo & Mateo – mainland [Spain](/source/Spain)

- *Cistus heterophyllus* subsp. *heterophyllus* – north Africa

The two subspecies have been artificially crossed forming a hybrid subspecies called *C. h.* nothosubsp. *marzoi*.[4]

A 2011 [molecular phylogenetic study](/source/Molecular_phylogenetics) placed *C. heterophyllus* in the purple and pink flowered clade (PPC) of *Cistus* species, in a subclade with *[C. albidus](/source/Cistus_albidus)* and *[C. creticus](/source/Cistus_creticus)*.[7]

Species-level cladogram of Cistus species. Halimium spp. Halimium spp. PPC Cistus crispus Cistus heterophyllus Cistus albidus Cistus creticus Cistus asper Cistus chinamadensis Cistus horrens Cistus ocreatus Cistus osbeckiifolius Cistus palmensis Cistus symphytifolius WWPC Cistus clusii Cistus munbyi Cistus inflatus Cistus ladanifer Cistus laurifolius Cistus libanotis Cistus monspeliensis Cistus parviflorus Cistus populifolius Cistus pouzolzii Cistus salviifolius Cistus sintenisii Purple Pink Clade White Whitish Pink Clade Species-level cladogram of Cistus species, based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences.[7][8][9][10]

## Distribution

*Cistus heterophyllus* has a disjoint distribution. *C. h.* subsp. *heterophyllus* is native to western North Africa, along the coastal Mediterranean region from the Spanish island of [Peñón de Alhucemas](/source/Pe%C3%B1%C3%B3n_de_Alhucemas) and [Targuist](/source/Targuist) in [Morocco](/source/Morocco) to [Algiers](/source/Algiers).[4] *C. h.* subsp. *carthaginensis* is found only in two locations in mainland Spain: near [La Pobla de Vallbona](/source/La_Pobla_de_Vallbona) in [Valencia](/source/Province_of_Valencia) and in the [Calblanque Regional Park](/source/Calblanque_Regional_Park) in [Murcia](/source/Province_of_Murcia).[6]

## Conservation

*Cistus heterophyllus* subsp. *carthaginensis* is listed as [critically endangered](/source/Critically_endangered) (CR) in the [IUCN Red List](/source/IUCN_Red_List).[11] Fewer than 30 individuals were known in 2011 (only one at the Valencian site) and some appear to be hybrids with *[Cistus albidus](/source/Cistus_albidus)*.[6] The subspecies is threatened by fires and human disturbance. Seeds have been stored in seedbanks, and attempts are being made to increase plants in cultivation, both from seed and in vitro.[11]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-TPL_kew-2723423_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-TPL_kew-2723423_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-TPL_kew-2723423_1-2) ["*Cistus heterophyllus*"](http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2723423), *The Plant List*, retrieved 2015-03-02

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Warb68_2-0)** Warburg, E.F. (1968), "Cistus heterophyllus", in Tutin, T.G.; Heywood, V.H.; Burges, N.A.; Valentine, D.H.; Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (eds.), *Flora Europaea, Volume 2: Rosaceae to Umbelliferae*, Cambridge University Press, p. 283, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-521-06662-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-06662-4)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Naturaleza_3-0)** ["Jara de Cartagena. *Cistus heterophyllus* subsp. *carthaginensis* \[Cistaceae\]"](http://www.regmurcia.com/servlet/s.Sl?sit=c,365,m,1050&r=ReP-14268-DETALLE_REPORTAJES), *Naturaleza – Región de Murcia Digital* (in Spanish), retrieved 2015-03-10

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FerrFerr13_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FerrFerr13_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FerrFerr13_4-2) Ferrer-Gallego, P. Pablo & Ferrando, Inmaculada (2013), ["*Cistus heterophyllus* nothosubsp. *marzoi*, nsubsp. nova (Cistaceae)"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259294773), *Bouteloua* (in Spanish), **16**: 27–33, retrieved 2015-03-11

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hyam95_5-0)** Hyam, R. & Pankhurst, R.J. (1995), *Plants and their names: a concise dictionary*, Oxford: Oxford University Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-866189-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-866189-4), p. 237

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-PawlWeisViceEgea12_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-PawlWeisViceEgea12_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-PawlWeisViceEgea12_6-2) Pawluczyk, Marta; Weiss, Julia; Vicente-Colomer, María José & Egea-Cortines, Marcos (2012), "Two alleles of rpoB and rpoC1 distinguish an endemic European population from *Cistus heterophyllus* and its putative hybrid (*C.* × *clausonis*) with *C. albidus*", *Plant Systematics and Evolution*, **298** (2): 409–419, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s00606-011-0554-8](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00606-011-0554-8), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [15479834](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:15479834)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-CiveLeclDemoAgna11_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-CiveLeclDemoAgna11_7-1) Civeyrel, Laure; Leclercq, Julie; Demoly, Jean-Pierre; Agnan, Yannick; Quèbre, Nicolas; Pélissier, Céline & Otto, Thierry (2011), "Molecular systematics, character evolution, and pollen morphology of *Cistus* and *Halimium* (Cistaceae)", *Plant Systematics and Evolution*, **295** (1–4): 23–54, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s00606-011-0458-7](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00606-011-0458-7), [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[2078.1/219851](https://hdl.handle.net/2078.1%2F219851), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [21995828](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:21995828)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GuzmVarg09_8-0)** Guzmán, B. & Vargas, P. (2009). "Historical biogeography and character evolution of Cistaceae (Malvales) based on analysis of plastid rbcL and trnL-trnF sequences". *Organisms Diversity & Evolution*. **9** (2): 83–99. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.ode.2009.01.001](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ode.2009.01.001).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GuzmVarg05_9-0)** Guzmán, B. & Vargas, P. (2005), "Systematics, character evolution, and biogeography of *Cistus* L. (Cistaceae) based on ITS, trnL-trnF, and matK sequences", *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution*, **37** (3): 644–660, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.026](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ympev.2005.04.026), [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [16055353](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16055353)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GuzmLled09_10-0)** Guzman, B.; Lledo, M.D. & Vargas, P. (2009). ["Adaptive Radiation in Mediterranean *Cistus* (Cistaceae)"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719431). *PLOS ONE*. **4** (7) e6362. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2009PLoSO...4.6362G](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009PLoSO...4.6362G). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1371/journal.pone.0006362](https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0006362). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [2719431](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719431). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19668338](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19668338).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IUCN_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IUCN_11-1) Güemes, J.; Francisco Jiménez, J.; Sánchez-Gómez, P. & Carrión Vilches, M.Á. (2006), ["*Cistus heterophyllus* subsp. *carthaginensis*"](http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/61679/0), *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List), Version 2014.3*, retrieved 2013-03-11

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Cistus heterophyllus](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Cistus_heterophyllus).

- Page, R.G. (n.d.) [2002 onwards], ["*Cistus heterophyllus* Desf."](https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090626/http://www.cistuspage.org.uk//Cistus%20heterophyllus.htm), *The Cistus & Halimium Website*, archived from [the original](http://www.cistuspage.org.uk//Cistus%20heterophyllus.htm) on 2015-04-02, retrieved 2015-03-09

Taxon identifiers Cistus heterophyllus Wikidata: Q8346474 Wikispecies: Cistus heterophyllus APDB: 134972 BOLD: 420967 CoL: VLLT EPPO: CSTHT EUNIS: 168783 GBIF: 7331282 iNaturalist: 438267 IPNI: 168294-1 NCBI: 335169 Observation.org: 127929 Open Tree of Life: 228850 Plant List: kew-2723423 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:168294-1 Tropicos: 7600239 WFO: wfo-0000607362

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