Ziziphora L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1972, Flora Europaea. Volume 3. Diapensiacea to Myoporaceae, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 163

24. Ziziphora L. 1

Annuals. Verticillasters few- to many-flowered, distant or crowded, in heads or spike-like inflorescences. Calyx long- tubular, 13-veined, 2-lipped, the upper lip 3-toothed, the lower 2-toothed; tube hairy in the throat. Corolla weakly 2-lipped; upper lip porrect, entire or emarginate; lower patent, 3-lobed; tube scarcely exserted from the calyx. Lower 2 stamens fertile, ascending under the upper lip of corolla or shortly exserted; upper 2 stamens rudimentary or absent. Style-branches unequal, the lower subulate, the upper much reduced.

All species grow in dry, usually open habitats. Z. rigida (Boiss.) H. Braun , Verh. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 39: 222 (1889), from S.W. Asia, has once been recorded from Bulgaria, probably erroneously. It is perennial, with stems glabrous, leaves lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, and verticillasters crowded into a terminal head. 1 Middle and upper leaves up to 10 mm, ovate to ovatelanceolate, or obovate 2 Stems up to 10 cm; leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, entire 2. hispanica 2 Stems up to 25 cm; leaves obovate, denticulate towards the apex 3. acinoides 1 Middle and upper leaves up to 40 mm, linear to lanceolate 3 Verticillasters in globose, bracteate heads 1. capitata 3 Verticillasters in ovoid to oblong, spike-like inflorescences 4 Corolla 12-15 mm, twice as long as calyx 5. taurica 4 Corolla 8-10 mm, slightly longer than calyx 5 All leaves linear to linear-lanceolate; calyx 5-7-5 mm 4. tenuior 5 Lowermost leaves ovate, the remainder lanceolate; calyx 7-10 mm 6. persica