Cionura is a genus that consists of a few species of perennial plants found through the Mediterranean regions, the South and Eastern parts of the Balkan peninsula and Asia Minor to Afghanistan. The plants are woody stems, either upright or twinning with numerous herbaceous sprawling stems and poisonous milky sap. Bright-green broadly-ovate leaves 7-12cm long and 4-8cm wide. Large clusters of delicate fragrant white flowers borne terminally from April to June. The plants bare fruits 8cm long, with papery flap. Seeds have wide marginal wing all around with a terminal tuff of long white silky hairs. Because it is a poisonous plant, goats and sheep do not approach it.

Species

• Cionura erecta (Jerusalem sage), (milkyweed)
• Cionura griseb
• Cionura oreophila