Family |
Lamiaceae
Micromeria juliana
(L.) Benth. ex Rchb.
Micromeria juliana (L.) Benth. ex Rchb.
First published in Fl. Germ. Excurs.: 311 (1831).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, p. 175, Pl. LXXXVIII, 2; 1983)
Description
Life-form & habit: Perennial subshrub with a woody underground base and erect, stiff, simple or sparingly branched stems, 20–60 cm tall; hairy to softly velvety.
Leaves: Sessile, ovate-oblong to linear, 5–8 mm long, with margins rolled downwards. Lebanese material described by Mouterde has particularly narrow, nearly hairless leaves.
Inflorescence & flowers: Dense, almost stalkless, few-flowered cymes, the lower ones spaced apart. Calyx 2–3 mm long, with slender pointed teeth. Corolla pink, extending beyond the calyx while its tube remains enclosed.
Fruit: Pointed nutlets.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering May–July.
Habitat & elevation: Stony places, often with some woodland cover.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Nahr el Kalb, Jabal Jrid near Qartaba, Afqa, Ehmej, Aakoura, Bilhas, Laqlouq, Kfertay and Bqaatouta.
Native range: Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, NW. Balkan Pen., Portugal, Sicilia, Spain, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Mouterde warns of confusion with Micromeria myrtifolia in older records. The historical localities included here follow his restricted account of M. juliana.