Scrophularia taygetea, Boiss.

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 : 219-220

24. S. taygetea Boiss. , Diagn. Pl. Or. Nov. 1(4): 68 (1844).

Slender glandular-pubescent perennial; stems up to 40 cm. Leaves up to 4 x 2 cm, ovate, cuneate to truncate at base, more or less obtuse, simply or doubly serrate, sometimes pinnatifid towards base. Bracts sometimes leaf-like; pedicels about equalling the calyx, glandular. Calyx-lobes orbicular, more or less entire; margin scarious. Corolla 6-9 mm, greenish-yellow. Staminode reniform. Capsule c. 5 mm, globose, mucronate. Rock-crevices. • 5. Greece (Taiyetos). Gr. (25-28). S. canina group. Glabrous perennial herbs or small shrubs. Leaves 1-8 cm, entire to bipinnatisect. Cymes 1- to 1 l(-25)-flowered; pedicels usuallyshorter than or equalling calyx, usually with sessile or subsessile glands, rarely glandular-pubescent. Calyx glabrous; lobes with wide scarious margin. Corolla 3—5(—8) mm, dark purplish-red. Staminode linear to lanceolate, or absent. Capsule 3-6 mm, more or less globose, mucronate to cuspidate.

A difficult group of taxa of uncertain status, sharing a distinctive facies but covering between them a wide range of variation. It might be possible, after a fuller study ofthe pattern ofvariation, to reduce the group to a single species with 5 or 6 subspecies,but it has been thought best, in the present state of our knowledge, to recognize the more distinct variants as independent species. 1 Cymes 1 - to 2-(3-)flowered; pedicels spinescent

2 All leaves incise-dentate to pinnatifid, the lowest opposite

26. ramosissima 2 Lower leaves 3-sect or pinnatisect, alternate 27. spinulescens 1 Cymes 3- to ll (-25)-flowered; pedicels usually notspinescent

3 Leaves entire to serrate; lower bracts often leaf-like 25. frutescens 3 At leastthelowerleavespinnatifid to 2- pinnatisect;bracts not leaf-like 28. canina