2. Teucrium scordium L., Sp. Pl. 565. 1753. Benth. in DC., Prodr. 12: 216. 1848; Hook. f., l.c. 702; Mukerjee, l.c. 216; Hedge & Lamond, l.c. 146; Stewart, l.c. 636; Rech. f., l.c. 33; Kovalevskaja in Vvedensky, Conspect. Fl. As. Med. 9: 12. 1987.
I.C. Hedge
Perennial stoloniferous herb. Stems rather slender (in ours), ± terete, sometimes purplish below, not or little branched, 10-30 cm, erect or ascending, with an indumentum of simple hairs, leafy. Leaves on crushing with an unpleasant smell, sessile, 2-4 x 0.6-1.2 cm, attenuate at base, oblong-elliptic, senate or serrulate above, apically rounded or acute, eglandular pubescent above and below with short adpressed or long spreading hairs; leaves in middle part of stem usually largest. Flowers few in the axils of the middle and upper leaves; verticillasters 2-6-flowered; bracts absent. Pedicels up to as long or longer than calyces, slender, erect-spreading. Calyx green or purplish, campanulate, 3-4 mm long, somewhat gibbous at base; teeth 5 subequal, triangular; tube c. as long as teeth; indumentum as on stem. Corolla whitish, pink or purplish, 7-8 mm. Stamens slightly exserted. Nutlets c. 0.8 x 0.6 mm, subglobose, dark brown, with inconspicuous raised reticulations, apically minutely glandular.
This is a widespread European – Mediterranean – W. Asiatic species of wet places. Infra-specific taxa are often recognized based on leaf shape, leaf base and indumentum characters. In our area, with the material at hand 2 varieties can be distinguished.
