Nepeta sphaciotica
- The plant species Nepeta sphaciotica
grows only on a mountainous slope at an altitude of 2300 m on the
northern side of summit Svourichti of Lefka Ori, and nowhere else
in the world.
- It was first described in 1953 by the British botanist Peter Davis
who had discovered the plant on the 4th of August 1950.
- It is a perennial, aromatic shrub, which grows up to 20 cm high.
It blossoms in August and its flowers are white with pink spots.
The seeds mature in September.
- It is protected by the Greek Presidential Decree 67/81 and the
Bern Convention, and is included in the Annexes II* and IV of
the Habitats Directive. It is an endangered species according to
the Red Data Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of Greece, because
its unique and limited population is susceptible to various types
of threats (e.g. climatic changes).
- Up to date, it is not known whether the plant has pharmaceutical
properties and thus it is not used by man.
- In the framework of the CRETAPLANT project, the Micro-reserve of
the plant has been established in an area of 4.8 hectares on summit
Svourichti of Lefka Ori, where its unique population is located.
