Lamiaceae

M. longifolia (L.) Hudson, Fl. Angl. 221 (1762).
Variable, hairy perennial with musty or pungent odour. Rhizomes mainly hypogeal with squamiform leaves. Flowering stems 40-120 cm. Leaves (25-)30-90 x 10-32(-40) mm, sessile or rarely petiolate, oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, broadest at or above middle, apex ± acute, base cordate to sub-cordate, margin sharply serrate with many irregular and often spreading teeth. Lamina smooth or very weakly rugose, green- to grey-tomentose above, green-to white-tomentose beneath (discolorous in subsp. longifolia), sometimes minutely puberulous on both surfaces. Leaf hairs unbranched, finely matted beneath when dry, basal cell 18-36(-41) μm diam. Verticillasters many, congested, forming a terminal often much branched spike (30)40-100 x (7-)9-15 mm diam. Calyx 1-3 mm. Corolla lilac or white. Nutlets chestnut, reticulate.
1. Leaves distinctly petiolate subsp. noeana
1. Leaves sessile or almost so
  2. Leaves more than 50 mm x 18 mm, discolorous with thin-walled hairs beneath, collapsing when dry; spikes robust, 12 mm diam. with usually sessile or subsessile branches subsp. longifolia
  2. Leaves usually less than 50 mm x 20 mm, concolorous with long to very short and curved, thick-walled hairs beneath, scarcely collapsing when dry; spikes more slender, to 10 mm diam., branches pedunculate subsp. typhoides
   3. Leaves green, densely puberulous on both surfaces, with short hairs, sometimes appearing almost glabrous; undersurface with sessile glands, visible with a lens; flower spikes tinged reddish-purple var. calliantha
   3. Leaves grey-tomentose; glands on undersurface obscured by hairs; flowers not conspicuously reddish-purple var. typhoides
subsp. typhoides (Briq.) Harley in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 38:38 (1980). Syn: M. sylvestris L. subsp. typhoides Briq. in Bull. Soc. Bot. Geneve 5:90 (1889)!
var. calliantha (Stapf) Briq. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 4:687 (1896). Syn: M. calliantha Stapf in Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Nat. Kl. 50(l):36 (1885)! M. silvestris L. subsp. calliantha (Stapf) Briq. in Bull. Soc. Bot. Genève 5:67 (1889)! Fl. 6-9. Marshy ground, streamsides, 1500-3000 m.
Type: [N.W. Iran] ad paludes prope Hamadan, Polak & Pichler (holo. WU, iso. K!).
E. Anatolia. B8 Muş: Varto, 1560 m, D. 46299! B9 Bitlis: Nemrut Da., 2450 m, 4 viii 1972, Tatli! Van: Erek Da., 1980 m, D. 22964! Van to Başkale, Halanduran Da., 3000 m, McNeill 655! Ağri: 96 km W. of Doğubayazit, 1520 m, Furse 3578! C9 Van: Havasor to Hoşap, D. 23283! Hakkari: Kara Da., 2900 m, D. 24361! C9/10 Van/Hakkari: Başkale to Hakkari, 1800 m, McNeill 691! 692! C10 Hakkari: Bacirge, 1700-1800 m, D. 45279!
N.W. Iran. Although a very distinctive variety, it appears to merge into typical subsp. typhoides occurring further W. In this respect, the two McNeill collections from Hakkari are particularly interesting, one being fairly typical, and the other, from the same population, being very much hairier.