N. congesta Fisch. & Mey. in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 4, 1:34 (1854). Perennial; stems single, erect, 28-50 cm, widely branched, sparsely to
densely puberulous to villous, eglandular or with sessile glands. Leaves ovate-oblong to elliptic, 1.6-4.7 x 0.6-2.4(-3) cm, crenate, uppermost rarely entire, truncate or cuneate, ± glabrous, puberulous or villous with sessile glands below; petiole 0.2-1.4(-2) cm. Inflorescence a widely branched pale green thyrse, flowers clustered. Bracteoles elliptic, ± equalling calyx. Calyx ± campanulate, 5-8(-ll) mm, puberulous to villous, with sessile glands or not, teeth ± equalling tube, narrowly triangular, straight, rarely recurving. Corolla white or cream, 6-8(-9) mm, shorter or longer than calyx teeth. Nutlets c. 2.2 x 1.8 mm, broadly oblong, rounded trigonous, usually finely tuberculate above. Fl. 4-6. Limestone crevices and screes, stony slopes, steppe, fallow or wheat fields, railway lines, 300-2100m. 1. Stem with a short puberulous indumentum, often of ± retrorse hairs, occasionally interspersed with longer spreading hairs var. congesta
1. Stem with a ± dense indumentum of spreading villous multicellular hairs, shorter hairs sometimes present var. cryptantha
var. cryptantha (Boiss.) Hedge & Lamond in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 38:43 (1980). Syn: Oxynepeta involucrata Bunge, Lab. Pers. 59 (1873); Nepeta cryptantha Boiss. & Hausskn. ex Boiss., Fl. Or. 4:669 (1879);N. involucrata (Bunge) Bornm. in Mag. Bot. Lap. 11:9 (1912);N. erivanensis Grossh. in Beih. Bot. Centr. 44(2):234 (1928). Ic: Fl. Pal. 3: t. 188 (1979), as N, involucrata. Map 44.
Syntypes: [Turkey C7 Urfa] Suerek (Siverek), Haussknecht (G) et [Syria?] in deserto Chabur (Khabur), Haussknecht (G).
C. & S.E. Anatolia. B6 Sivas: Pinarbaşi to Gürün, 1700 m, Stn. & Hend. 5188! B9 Van: Timar to Bendimahi, 50 km from Erciş, 1750 m, D. 44204! C5 Konya: Kratergölu (Acigöl) nr Karapinar, A. & T. Baytop (ISTE 6997)! C6/7 Urfa: Birecik, Haschnadi, Sint. 1888: 447! 448! 449! C7 Urfa: d. Viranşehir, 5 km W. of Ceylanpinar, frontier with Syria, 300 m, Hub.-Mor. 14196!
Azerbaijan, Armenia, N., N.W. & C. Iran, Palestine, Syrian Desert. Less densely villous specimens are occasionally found in areas where the two varieties overlap, e.g. C5 Konya. More observations within populations are desirable.