Israel flowers: Chian Stock

Malcolmia chia, Wilckia chia, Malcolmia orsiniana, Malcolmia micrantha, Chian Stock, Chian Malcolmia,

Hebrew: מלקולמייה הררית, Arabic: الشلوة الخيوسية

Scientific name:   Malcolmia chia (L.) DC.
Synonym name:   Wilckia chia (L.) Halácsy, Malcolmia orsiniana Ten., Malcolmia micrantha Boiss. & Reut.
Common name:   Chian Stock, Chian Malcolmia
Hebrew name:   מלקולמייה הררית
Arabic name:   الشلوة الخيوسية
Family:   Cruciferae / Brassicaceae, מצליבים


Location: Jerusalem Mountains
Life form:   Annual
Stems:   Up to 20 cm, with bi- to quadrified hairs
Leaves:   Alternate, ovate-oblong, smooth; margin entire or dentate
Inflorescence:   Ebracteate; pedicels 4-10 mm in fruit
Flowers:   Sepals with bifid hairs; petals pink, violet
Fruits / pods:   Siliqua; straight linear shaped, more or less 4-angled; green; seed, 1.2-1.4 × 0.4-0.6 mm, oblong, dark brown, reticulate-papillate
Flowering Period:   February, March, April
Habitat:   Batha, Phrygana
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Mediterranean
Summer shedding:   ephemeral


Location: Jerusalem Mountains

Derivation of the botanical name:

Malcolmia, named for English plantsmen Malcolm, William Sr. and William Malcolm Jr.(1768-1835).

chia, Chian.
orsiniana, Felice Orsini (1819-58)
micrantha, micro, little, small; anthos, flower; small-flowered.
The Hebrew name: מלקולמייה, Malcolmia, a transliteration from the scientific name.

  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation DC. is used to indicate Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (1778 – 1841), a Swiss botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Ten. is used to indicate Michele Tenore (1780 – 1861), an Italian botanist
  • The standard author abbreviation Halácsy is used to indicate Eugen von Halácsy (1842 – 1913), an Austrian physician and botanist of Hungarian descent who was born in Vienna.