Ματθιόλα η γκριζολευκότριχη
Etymology of Matthiola incana: The name of the genus, "Matthiola", is a tribute to Italian naturalist Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577). Latin "incana" means "hoary", which is a reference to the short, dense, greyish-white hairs the plant is covered with.
There are five Matthiola taxa in the wild Cypriot habitat.
Matthiola incana has some really rare attributes in Cyprus: it is a plant grown intentionally in gardens in many communities and towns, it is also found growing naturally on its own as an indigenous but non-endemic plant near or far away from gardens, and it is also a naturalized but non-invasive plant in some other areas of the island. The specimen in the pictures appeared from a crack between a house and the asphalt in the village of Kapedes (Nicosia district, around 550 metres of elevation). Incana's flowering period in Cyprus is usually between February and May.
