Ptilostomine the chameleon

Ptilostemon chamaepeuce (L.) Less.

Evergreen shrub common throughout the eastern Mediterranean, on cliffs, rocky sites, near the sea. The characteristic epithet of the species comes from the resemblance of its leaves to the pine tree. In some areas of Greece the common name to this day is chamopeipko. While the name of the genus is derived from the ancient Greek ptileon = fluffy feather and stemon, a reference to the form of the wing-like flowers on the long stems.