A. chamaepitys (L.) Schreber, PL Vert. Unilab. 24 (1773). Davis in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 38:24-32 (1980, with illustrations of cauline and floral leaves of all subspecies). Syn: Teucrium chamaepitys L., Sp. PL 562 (1753).
Perennial, biennial or annual herbs, very variable. Stems prostrate or ascending, variously hairy or glabrous. Cauline leaves cuneate to cuneate-oblong, shortly 3-lobed to deeply 3(-5)-partite, hirsute, villous, lanate or sub-glabrous; floral leaves usually somewhat more deeply divided. Verticillasters 2-flowered. Calyx 4-6 mm, teeth 0.5-l(-2) x tube. Corolla yellow (sometimes drying pinkish), 8-30 mm, upper lip short and emarginate, middle lobe of lower lip bilobed. Stamens exserted beyond reduced upper lip. Nutlets 2.5-4 mm, transversely rugulose, often foveolate towards apex. Calcicole.
 1. Stems glabrous, usually purple; cauline leaves broadly oblong and often sheathing below the linear lobes; inflorescence usually a terminal panicle; corolla (18-)20-25 mm b. subsp. laevigata
 1. Stems hairy all round or at least on 2 opposite sides, usually green; cauline leaves not broadened out and ± sheathing below the lobes; inflorescence usually simple ; corolla 8-30 mm
  2. Dwarf alpine plants (usually on scree) with subterranean caudiculi and short, densely leafy shoots;lower floral leaves obtusely lobed to 1/3-1/2, shortly villous;corolla 18-22 mm d. subsp. glareosa
  2. Plants not as above
   3. Middle lobe of lower floral leaves linear, 6-many times longer than broad, as long as or longer than attenuate basal portion; stems spread-ing-hirsute, or shortly hairy only on 2 opposite sides ;corolla 16-23 mm a. subsp. chia
    4. Stems hirsute with long stiff patent hairs on all sides var. chia
    4. Stems glabrous on 2 opposite sides, retrorse-puberulent on the other two sides var. ciliata
   3. Middle lobe of lower floral leaves broadly ovate to linear-oblong, less than 6 x longer than broad, shorter than to as long as narrowed basal portion; stems usually woolly or sometimes pubescent-canescent all round; corolla 8-25(-30) mm
     5. Lower floral leaves divided to halfway into linear-oblong lobes; corolla 15-20 mm
      6. Prostrate plant of stony slopes or disturbed ground; flowering stems sparsely to densely villous, usually branched; basal leaves (when present) linear-oblanceolate, remotely crenate-dentate c. subsp. palaestina
      6. Plant of rock crevices; flowering stems lanate-villous, ± simple ;basal leaves (when present) narrowly obovate, subentire to crenate e. subsp. euphratica
     5. Lower floral leaves divided to less than halfway; corolla 8-25(-30) mm
       7. Corolla 8-11 mm, usually drying pinkish; lower floral leaves only 8-14 mm, usually divided to 1/4 or less into short rounded to ovate-oblong lobes h. subsp. cypria
       7. Corolla 12-25(-30) mm, remaining yellow on drying; lower floral
leaves 5-27 mm, divided to 1/3 to nearly halfway
        8. Inflorescence columnar, the densely imbricated floral leaves having acute oblong-lanceolate lobes;corolla 12-14 mm
j. subsp. rechingeri
        8. Inflorescence not as above; leaf lobes obtuse; corolla 14-25(-30) mm
         9. Cauline and lower floral leaves 5-12 mm, cuneate-oblong, 3-fid to 1/4-1/2; plant canescent with short slender dense subadpressed hairs;corolla 14-20(-24) mm i. subsp. mardinensis
         9. Cauline and lower floral leaves 10-27 mm, cuneate to obtriang-ular, 3(-5)-fid to 1/3; plant lanate or patent-pilose, more robust; corolla 15-25 mm
         10. Stems ± densely lanate; floral leaves lanate and greyish, cuneate or oblong-cuneate, divided into ovate to oblong lobes f. subsp. mesogitana
         10. Stems patent-pilose, with many subsessile glands visible; floral leaves pilose, greenish, conspicuously glandular, broadly cuneate to obtriangular, divided into broader lobes g. subsp. cuneatifolia
a. subsp. chia (Schreber) Arcangeli, Comp. Fl. Ital. 560 (1882).
var. ciliata Briq. in Annu. Cons. Jard. Bot. Geneve 17:401 (1913-14), as A. chamaepitys (L.) Schreber subsp. chia (Schreber) Murb. var. ciliata Briq. Syn:A. comata Stapf in Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Nat. Kl. 50(1):50 (1885); A. pseudochia Shost. in Not. Syst. (Leningrad) 8:147 (1940); A. chamaepitys (L.) Schreber subsp. ciliata (Briq.) Smejkal in Preslia 33:392 (1961). Ic: Fl. URSS 20: t. 1 f. 1 (1954), as A. pseudochia. Fl. 5-8. Scrub, pastures, screes, Artemisia steppe, fallow fields, clay banks, 1000-2240 m.
Lectotype (Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 38:26, 1980): Iran, without locality (holo. WU, iso. K!).
Mainly Anatolia E. of the Diagonal. A 1(E) Tekirdag: N. side of Ganos Da., Bauer et al. 985! A5 Amasya: Amasya, Maniss. 1023! A6 Sivas : 115 km from Sivas to Sus^ehri, 1910-1930 m, Buttler 20377! A7 Giimus^ane: Stadodopi, Sint. 1894:6216! A8 Erzurum: Ispir, 1300 m, Barclay 769! A9 Kars:23 km from Kagizman to Karakurt, 1350 m, Rech. 57428! B5 Yozgat: Akdagma-deni forest station, Curtis 174! B6 Malatya: Giiriin to Darende, 1300 m, M. Zohary & Plitm. 1767-37! B7 Erzincan: 40 km W. of Erzincan, 1500 m, Andersen & Cornelius 33! B8 Erzurum: nr Asjkale, 1880 m, M. Zohary 671562! B9 Agri: Tahir pass, 2440 m, Archibald 3251! B10 Kars: Pamuk Da., 20 km from Igdir to Dogubayazit, 1600 m, D. 43863! C5 Nigde: Ala Da., 1500-2000 m, Parry 238! C6 Adana: 21 km from Osmaniye to Gavur Da., 400 m, Birand47!
Romania, S. Russia, N. & N.W. Iran, eastwards to C. Asia. In Turkey it intergrades so much with var. chia that subspecific rank cannot be justified.