Lamiaceae

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
b. subsp. laevigata (Banks & Sol.) P.H. Davis in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 38:27 (1980). Syn: Teucrium laevigatum Banks & Sol. in Russell, Aleppo 2:255 (1794)! Ajuga laevigata (Banks & Sol.) Boiss., Fl. Or. 4:804 (1879)! A. glabra Bentham, Lab. Gen. Sp. 700 (1834) non Presl (1826)! Ic : Boul., Fl. Lib. Syr. t. 327 (1930), poor. Map 8. Fl. 4-6. Vineyards, fields, stony places, 500-1400 m.
Type: [Syria] near Aleppo, Russell (holo. BM!).
E. & adjacent S. Anatolia. B7 Tunceli: Ovacik, 1400 m, D. 31439! B8 Mu§: Bingol Da., nr Giimgum (Varto), 1400 m, Kotschy 1859:406! Erzurum: W. of Ilica, 6 viii 1967, J.G. Ross (small slender variant)! B9 Bitlis: Ahlat, 1750 m, D. 43388 (few long sparse hairs on stem)! C5 Adana: Hassan Oglu, Gurumze, 1400 m, Kotschy 1859:108! Igel: Gysel (Kizil) De., Siehe 1896:69! C6 Gaziantep: nr Dülük Baba N. of Gaziantep, 1100 m, D. 27866! Hatay: Antioch (Antakya), Kotschy 1862:372! Maraş: 15 km W. of Maraş, 500 m, D. 27461! C7 Urfa: 32 km from Urfa to Hilvan, 700 m, D. 42905! C8 Diyarbakir: Diyarbakir, 1857, Holmes! Mardin: 28 km from Mardin to Diy-arbakir, 1000 m, D. 28716!
Syrian Desert, Anti-Lebanon, N. Iraq; Jordan? Ir.-Tur. element. The typical plant looks specifically distinct, but intermediates with subsp. chia (especially var. ciliata) are frequent, especially near the periphery of subsp. laevigata's range.