Cistus crispus

Cistus crispus is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae , with pink to purple flowers, native to south-western Europe and western north Africa.

Description

Cistus crispus grows up to 50 cm (1 ft 8 in) tall. Its grey-green leaves are wavy (undulate), oblong to elliptical in shape, usually 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) long by 4–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) wide. They have three prominent veins and are covered a mixture of short stellate hairs and longer simple hairs. The flowers are arranged in few-flowered cymes, each flower being 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) across with five purplish-red petals and five hair-covered sepals.

Taxonomy

Cistus crispus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum (p. 524). The specific epithet crispus means "curly" or "finely waved", referring to the leaves. A 2011 molecular phylogenetic study placed C. crispus as most basal member of the large group of purple and pink flowered Cistus species. It hybridizes with Cistus albidus to form the hybrid Cistus × incanus.

Crispus

Flavius Julius Crispus (died 326), also known as Flavius Claudius Crispus and Flavius Valerius Crispus, was a Caesar of the Roman Empire. He was the first-born son of Constantine I and Minervina.

Early life

Crispus' year and place of birth are uncertain. He is considered likely to have been born between 299 and 305, somewhere in the Eastern Roman Empire, probably the early date since he was being tutored already in 309-310 by Lactantius. His mother Minervina was either a concubine or a first wife to Constantine. Nothing else is known about Minervina. His father served as a hostage in the court of Eastern Roman Emperor Diocletian in Nicomedia, thus securing the loyalty of Caesar of the Western Roman Empire Constantius Chlorus, father of Constantine and grandfather of Crispus.

In 307, Constantine allied to the Italian Augusti, and this alliance was sealed with the marriage of Constantine to Fausta, daughter of Maximian and sister of Maxentius.

The marriage of Constantine to Fausta has caused modern historians to question the status of his relation to Minervina and Crispus. If Minervina was his legitimate wife, Constantine would have needed to secure a divorce before marrying Fausta. This would have required an official written order signed by Constantine himself, but no such order is mentioned by contemporary sources.

Crispus (disambiguation)

Crispus was a Caesar of the Roman Empire.

Crispus may also refer to:

See also