Family |
Lamiaceae
Stachys longispicata
Boiss. & Kotschy
Stachys longespicata Boiss. & Kotschy
First published in P.E.Boissier, Fl. Orient. 4: 725 (1879).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, pp. 148–149, Pl. LXX, 4; 1983)
Description
Life-form & habit: Perennial herb with dense, appressed grey hairs and erect, flexuous, branched stems, 50–80 cm tall.
Leaves: Oblong and toothed; lower leaves stalked, with rounded or heart-shaped bases. Floral leaves are triangular-lanceolate, entire and upright, closely surrounding the flower whorls.
Inflorescence & flowers: Lower whorls are spaced, upper ones crowded. Flowers are small, with narrow, pointed bracts and a calyx about 4 mm long whose sharply tipped teeth equal the tube. The pink corolla has a hairy limb and notched upper lip.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering July–August.
Habitat & elevation: Fertile ground, cultivated places, pond margins and watersides.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Taanayel, Chtaura, Ammiq, Nebaa Fouar, between Baalbeck and Zahle, and the Beqaa.
Syrian distribution: Kissoue and the Ghouta.
Native range: Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Türkiye.
Introduced into: Maryland.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Kew uses the spelling Stachys longespicata; Mouterde treats this plant under Stachys longispicata.