Bryonia cretica, also known as Cretan bryony or English mandrake is a perennial species of Bryonia.
Its flowers bloom in the summer and usually grow between 3 and 5mm. Its fruit are toxic. They have been used in traditional medicine.
It is a common plant in most of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Turkmenistan.
Subspecies
Four subspecies are accepted.
- Bryonia cretica subsp. acuta â Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Lampedusa
- Bryonia cretica subsp. cretica â eastern Mediterranean, from Greece to Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, and Libya
- Bryonia cretica subsp. dioica â central and southern Europe, Great Britain, and North Africa
- Bryonia cretica subsp. marmorata â Corsica and Sardinia
References