English: Cretan zelkova; Abelitsia.
Genus: 6 species.
Region: Greece, Crete.
Habitat: rocky, mountainous areas; altitudes between 850 and 1,800 m
Culture: endangered species, by urbanization, habitat loss, overgrazing, wildfires.
Use: wood for katsouna, the traditional Cretan shepherd's versatile crook
BotanyMedium-sized tree; 3 m to 5 m tall.
Stem: strongly branched; dense, crown extends close to the ground.
Leaves: small, green, with serrated edges.
Flowers: hermaphroditic, small, scented.
Pollination: by insects.
Propagation: suckering, new shoots arise from roots; rarely by seed.